Physicians and staff gathered Oct. 13 to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the opening of Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit.
A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) specializes in the care of ill or premature newborn infants.
The NICU at Millard Suburban, built as a brand new fourth floor, one floor above the labor and delivery program opened last fall. The first exclusively single-room NICU in Western New York reduces the need for at-risk newborns to be transported to a separate facility and risk further medical complications while keeping moms and infants together.
The 10 bed NICU team has treated approximately 170 babies since opening.
“Adding this critical care unit allows us to better serve our moms and newborns,” said Diane Lobdell, chief nursing officer of Millard Fillmore Suburban and DeGraff Memorial Hospitals. “The beautiful single rooms allow parents to comfortably remain at their newborn’s bedside while they receive the medical care they need right here at Suburban.”
The Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital NICU is a partnership with the WNY regional perinatal center, Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo (WCHOB).
“I am proud to be part of the expert interdisciplinary NICU team providing the northtowns with high quality neonatal care,” said physician Deepali Handa, the NICU’s medical director. “The new modern accommodations create a very calm and nurturing environment for our critically ill babies to grow and develop. We continuously receive high praise from families regarding the care and comfort in the NICU.”