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The Cecil and Irene Hylton Foundation is donating $2 million to support the upgrade and enhancement of UVA Health Prince William Medical Center’s mother-baby unit. The gift is an important part of a broader project intended to renovate the mother-baby unit and elevate the hospital’s labor and delivery capabilities for the community. 

The Cecil and Irene Hylton Foundation's philanthropic support for UVA Health Prince William Medical Center began in 2000 with a $1 million gift that established the Hylton Family Women's and Children's Center. As the region has grown and the need for care has increased, the foundation has continued its commitment to the community. Twenty years later, UVA Health continues to provide world-class care to meet the evolving needs of the community, exemplified by its status as the only Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Prince William County. 

“Once again, I am deeply impressed by the unwavering generosity of the Cecil and Irene Hylton Foundation in supporting the health and well-being of our community,” says Erik Shannon, CEO of UVA Health’s community medical centers and clinics in northern Virginia and Culpeper. “This contribution to such a vital initiative is not only immensely rewarding for our patients, but also a testament to the Cecil and Irene Hylton Foundation’s commitment to making a meaningful difference. As part of our 10-year strategic plan, we are dedicated to continuously enhancing and optimizing our resources, and this gift is a significant step forward.” 

This donation marks a milestone in the effort to enhance the mother-baby unit. Plans for the unit and related programs include:  

• Enhancing existing patient care areas to accommodate additional patient volume in times of surge to meet rising demand.  
• Incorporating the latest innovations in clinical technology and equipment, including ultraviolet incubators and AI-powered diagnostic tools. 
• Equipping the facility with the most advanced patient safety, privacy and security tools.  
• Enabling more personalized and holistic patient care by incorporating doulas and birth coaches in labor and delivery and increasing access to lactation specialists. 
• Improving space design and amenities to align with the latest industry standards and evidence-based labor, delivery, and recovery room best practices, which have been shown to improve patient outcomes and experiences as well as accelerate recovery.  
• Increasing accessibility, including for patients and family members with disabilities. 

UVA Health also is working to grow patient and family support with additional educational services. These will encompass specialized childbirth classes, nutrition counseling, case management, social work, mother-baby enrichment programs, and perinatal depression screening. These services will be part of a broader effort to enhance support for families during and after pregnancy and will happen in concert with the renovation, scheduled to begin this year. 

“Philanthropic donations have been a driving force in the creation, and now renovation, of this part of the hospital,” says Felicia Blow, PhD, Executive Director, UVA Community Health Foundation. “We are grateful for the Cecil and Irene Hylton Foundation’s donation, which will ensure our NICU remains a trusted lifeline for the littlest patients.”  

Donations are accepted by the UVA Community Health Foundation at giving.UVAHealth.com.