Will Rogers Foundation Makes Big Donation to Children's Hospital

A big thanks to the Will Rogers Motion Pictures Pioneers Foundation for its award of a $35,000 grant to Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital.

The grant has enabled Children’s Hospital to acquire a Servo I ventilator with Neurally Assisted Ventilatory Assistance (NAVA). The equipment allows premature infants to drive their own ventilation.

“This novel technology is designed to reduce injury in tiny infants,” said Dr. T. Allen Merritt, pediatric neonatologist, who submitted the grant proposal to Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation.

The Toluca Lake-based foundation, named after the famous cowboy and film star, supports people in the motion picture industry during times of need, as well as supports programs for children’s pulmonary health.

“One of the primary missions of the Will Rogers Institute is to promote healthcare issues; there is no better way to do that than to help Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital,” said Branden Miller, board member and neonatal committee member of the foundation.

“This is especially important to me, as I know firsthand of the great work that is done here. My daughter, Olivia, was a preemie born at 28 weeks, who spent the first four-and-a-half months of her life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital. We are eternally grateful to the hospital and their amazing staff,” he said.

Please help us in welcoming wonderful new physicians who are eager to meet patients at Loma Linda University Medical Center.

The Department of Surgery is pleased to welcome general surgeon, Dr. Jacqueline Carter Gustafson. Dr. Carter received her medical school education at Loma Linda University. She went on to complete her general surgery training at Loma Linda University Medical Center and East Carolina University/Pitt County Memorial Hospital. Her clinical areas of interest include: General Surgery and surgical education. Dr. Carter is an exceptional surgeon whose addition will bring great value to our institution.

The Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics welcomes Dr. Noah Rodriguez. Dr. Rodriguez completed his undergraduate education at Stanford University and graduated from the Charles Drew/UCLA School of Medicine in 2003. 

Following completion of his residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Santa Clara, CA in 2007, he served a one year research fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at UCLA followed by a three year fellowship program in Gynecologic Oncology at Brigham & Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School in Boston. He is a member of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, American Association for Cancer Research, American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists, the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Dr. Rodriguez specializes in minimally-invasive gynecologic cancer surgery.