ORONO – A specialized, high-tech bed for the neonatal intensive care unit was among several gifts presented on Wednesday to Eastern Maine Medical Center at the annual meeting of the EMMC Auxiliary at the Penobscot Valley Country Club.

The Giraffe OmniBed gives families and health care providers greater access to tiny premature infants without having to handle or move them. A radiant warmer, an X-ray tray and finely tuned humidity control are among the features of the bed, which costs between $40,000 and $45,000, according to outgoing auxiliary president Lynne Spooner.

The new bed brings to three the number of Giraffes in the 23-bed NICU. Department head Tina Gist said Wednesday that the short-term goal is to have five of the specialized beds.

The auxiliary also gave the hospital a check for $100,000 earmarked for CancerCare of Maine – the first installment of a half-million dollar commitment over the next four years, Spooner said.

Four students in the Husson College nursing program each received a $1,000 scholarship from the auxiliary at Wednesday’s meeting, as well. Spooner said there’s “a long-standing relationship” between EMMC and Husson, and a long tradition of the auxiliary supporting students there.

New auxiliary officers also were instated at Wednesday’s meeting. Taking over for Spooner is incoming president Carol Colson, vice president for marketing at Bangor Savings Bank. The auxiliary’s vice president is Mary Beth Lozada. The secretary is Jill Savage and treasurer is Cindy Curran. The EMMC Auxiliary has a membership of about 300 women and an 18-member board of directors.