The NICU has 32 beds for Level III care (intensive care) and 24 beds for Level II care (intermediate care). Over 3,000 newborns are admitted annually to the University Hospital, including 600 admissions to the NICU. On a daily basis, the NICU includes 16 Level III infants and 14 Level II infants.

Patient care is enhanced by NICU support facilities located directly next to NICU patient care areas. These adjacent support facilities include:

• a clinical laboratory staffed by technicians around the clock performing blood gas determinations, glucose, bilirubin, hematocrit, and fetal scalp pH measurements
• a pharmacy that is staffed during daytime hours by a pharmacist experienced in neonatal pharmacology
• equipment for obtaining and reviewing digital portable radiographs
• an x-ray conference room where a computer terminal and file of radiographs of patients are kept
• dedicated supply and respiratory therapy facilities
• procedure room for surgery and/or isolation
• offices for neonatologists, fellows, residents, nurse practitioners, and nursing staff
• conference and parent education rooms
• parent/infant rooms where the parents can stay 24 hours a day as they learn to participate in the care of their recovering newborn
• an elevator connecting the NICU to labor and delivery one floor below
• computerized bedside medical charting or Complete EMR – Electonic Medical Record
• Do we need to add- Respiratory therapist in the unit 24/7

Level III care is provided for preterm premature babies, infants of diabetes mothers, newborns with birth defects, post-surgical cases, and other categories of infants requiring intensive nursing care of a high level of observation for unstable or at-risk conditions.

Level II care is provided for the growing premature, infants with sepsis or pneumonia, infants withdrawing from intrauterine drug exposure, and other infants requiring specialized nursing care.

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