Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
The Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Phoenix Children's Hospital is one of the largest in the nation. Each year, approximately 1,300 babies throughout Arizona and the Southwest are admitted to this intensive care nursery. Most of the infants are premature, some as much as 16 weeks early weighing barely one pound.
These "preemies" are born with an array of medical conditions related to their immaturity, including respiratory distress syndrome, heart problems, immature skin and eyes, and under-developed digestive and neurological systems. Other babies are born full-term, but suffer from infection, congenital birth defects, in-utero drug exposure and complications from traumatic birth. Many of these infants require surgical and sub-specialist services, which are all available here at Phoenix Children's.
In the remarkably warm, personal and family-centered setting provided by Phoenix Children's Hospital, 95 percent of these tiny and ill infants survive and grow to reach their maximum potential. This astonishing statistic, one of the highest newborn survival rates in the nation, can be attributed to a number of factors, including an extraordinary medical team of specialized doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals all exclusively committed to the care of premature and critically ill infants.
In order to meet the specialized needs of infants and families for neonatal care, Phoenix Children's NICU has two units.
The 33-bed unit on Phoenix Children's Hospital primary campus at Thomas Road supports infants born throughout Arizona needing a higher level of newborn care, surgery, or sub-specialist involvement.
The 64-bed unit at the Banner Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center campus on McDowell Road primarily supports the Level III Perinatal Program, providing care for babies of high risk pregnancies, including those born prematurely, multiple births, and congenital anomalies.
Phoenix Children's is committed to providing state-of-the-art facilities for these fragile infants. The Thomas NICU was constructed in 2002 with a pinwheel design that was considered the most cutting-edge design in neonatal medicine. Today, trends in newborn care are leaning towards private room design. Phoenix Children's Hospital recently constructed ten private rooms in its Thomas NICU, which opened January 18, 2005. Phoenix Children's is the first hospital in Arizona and one of only a few leading medical facilities in the nation to offer private rooms in a NICU.
This private room design is now serving as a pilot design for the renovation of the McDowell NICU. In June 2004, the Phoenix Children's Board of Directors officially approved the expansion and renovation plans for the McDowell NICU. Governing boards and executives from Phoenix Children's Hospital and Banner Health Systems are working closely with the Stein-Cox architectural firm and a design committee comprised of NICU staff to develop the most state-of-the-art NICU in the United States.
This collaborative team is leading the required renovations and expansions that will provide the original 64-bed McDowell NICU with the same infant sensitive environment that has been so effective in providing outstanding patient care on the new Phoenix Children's Hospital Thomas campus. Construction for the expanded 36,000 square foot unit on the McDowell campus began in 2006 and will be completed in 2008. When all renovations are completed, the McDowell unit will hold 76 private patient rooms.
The combined, state-of-the-art NICU will set the benchmark for neonatal care in the United States, and underscore Phoenix Children's commitment to family-centered medical treatment for children of all ages.
Contact
Thomas Road NICU (602) 546-1454
McDowell Road NICU (602) 546-4900
