Helping the Smallest Patients

Pediatrics Services Fund Helps New Clinic

Elisa Brown, M.D. (left), and Kathleen Sullivan, M.D., hold a Transcutaneous bilirubin meter and a glucometer. Both pieces of equipment were purchased thanks to donations to the Enloe Health Foundation’s Pediatric Services Fund.

Medical equipment that helps bolster patient care at the Enloe Health & Wellness Pediatrics clinic has been made possible by a generous contribution to the Enloe Health Foundation’s Pediatric Services Fund.

Thanks to the donation, Enloe has funded more than $31,000 in support of the Pediatrics clinic. Enloe caregivers purchased several needed tools for the clinic, which opened in May. These included a Transcutaneous bilirubin meter to measure bilirubin levels in newborns, a glucometer to test sugar levels, two carts to take vital signs and more.

Clinic Supervisor Tashena Medrano said having the new equipment will help the staff provide a more thorough and positive experience for patients and their families.

Medrano explained that multiple teams, including the Enloe Health Information Technology team, utilized the funds to purchase essential equipment necessary for the clinic’s operations.

Kathleen Sullivan, M.D., added that, by having the equipment that was purchased, the clinic won’t have to refer patients to other locations for services, making treatment more efficient.

“That’s important when you’re dealing with children,” Dr. Sullivan said. “Faster treatment can prevent complications and suffering for kids. Plus, it can ease the anxiety parents often feel when they have a sick child.” Elisa Brown, M.D., said caregivers at the clinic are grateful for the funds. “We feel really fortunate,” Dr. Brown said. “The new equipment and tools are already making a big impact, allowing us to provide the high-quality care we’re committed to.”

A Gift from the Heart

The donation came from the estate of Dr. John B. Copeland and Barbara S. Copeland, prominent community members.

John Copeland was a longtime physician in the Chico area, but his connection to medicine goes much further back. His great-grandfather came to Chico in the 1850s after John Bidwell posted an ad for a trained physician to come north of Sacramento, according to a member of the Copeland family, who asked to remain anonymous.

After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, John Copeland attended medical school on the GI Bill. Barbara Copeland also had ties to medicine, as her grandfather was a physician.

In Chico, John Copeland practiced medicine, first as a pediatrician and then at the student health center at California State University, Chico. The generous contribution to the Pediatric Fund isn’t the first time the Copeland family has supported Enloe. The family made a gift in memory of Dr. John B. Copeland for the Special Care Nursery at Enloe in 2011.

Want to support pediatric services at Enloe Health? Visit www.enloe.org/donate, select the Pediatric Services Fund and make a gift.