A look in the new NICU

Neonatal intensive care registered nurse Valerie Fillmore works with some of Community Regional's most fragile patients.

For the first time ever, a higher level of care for moms and babies will be available in the Valley when Community Regional Medical Center opens its new neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and Maternal Transport Program in December.

The combination of Community Regional’s first and only high-risk antepartum unit in the region and the soon-to-open Level III NICU, along with the new Maternal Transport Program, makes it the only facility in the Valley capable of providing the highest level of care for mom and baby together.

“It’s better for mom and baby to be in the same place in terms of bonding for the baby,” said Dr. Conrad Chao, medical director of obstetrics and gynecology at Community Regional. “That’s very difficult to do if they’re located in two different hospitals 40 or 50 miles apart.”

The new services offer comprehensive care of women who are experiencing complications during pregnancy or whose pregnancies are considered high risk, as well as care for premature or severely ill newborns. Patients have access to highly advanced technology and facilities as well as the care and expertise of experienced, specially trained physicians and nursing staff.

As part of this higher level of care, Community Regional’s new Maternal Transport Program offers a top standard to Valley residents by offering in-utero (before the baby is born) transport, which significantly improves outcomes.

This specialized team will be available when hospitals around the region have critically ill moms who need a higher level of care. When alerted, a transport team of specialists will travel from Community Regional, either by air or ambulance, to evaluate a critical/high-risk mom elsewhere in our region and accompany her back on transport to Community Regional.

“Our mission is to provide the most advanced inpatient care for high-risk expectant mothers and babies in central California,” said registered nurse Kriss Steele, perinatal/neonatal outreach and transport coordinator. “The Level III NICU and the new Maternal Transport Program are more examples of our dedication to providing leading-edge care in the Valley.”

The NICU, located on the fourth floor of Community Regional’s 10 story tower, is licensed for 65 beds, including state-of-the-art GiraffeOmni beds – each of which cost more than $40,000. The NICU also has its own on-floor pharmacy, pharmacist and a breast-milk pumping station. The facility was designed with baby’s care and mom’s comfort in mind, Dr. Chao said.

“The baby is very much part of the mother and if the baby has a condition that requires neonatal intensive care, that creates a very large stress – not only on the mother, but on the family,” Dr. Chao said. “If it requires that the baby is separated from the mother, and if the baby is moved to another hospital, that can be devastating to mom and the family as well.”

To celebrate the new NICU, an invitation-only open house was held on Nov. 12, in the new facility. The NICU and Maternal Transport Program will be fully operational sometime in December.

This story was reported by Mary Lisa Russell. She can be reached at mrussell@communitymedical.org.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008