Today's Medicine
6 Reasons to Love the Expanded NICU
Methodist Women’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) grew from 28 private beds to 51 private beds. The 14,000 square foot expansion includes 13 single rooms and five rooms for multiples.
Expanded wing
Methodist Women’s Hospital was built with expansion in mind. Footings in the roof surfaces allow for outward and upward growth. The NICU expansion extends off the existing third-floor space which faces southeast toward Dodge.
Single room
The new 14,000 square foot space features 13 single/private rooms. Research clearly shows that the smallest NICU babies do the best when they are in private rooms.
Room for multiples
The NICU expansion includes 18 rooms, five of which will accommodate multiples. The large room space allows staff to easily care for multiple babies at one time.
Family lounge
Having a NICU baby can be stressful. A new lounge provides family members a place to take a break, eat a meal or interact with other NICU parents while remaining close to their child.
Headwalls
Babies in the NICU can require lots of equipment. Functional headwalls are designed to provide easy access to the multiple systems necessary for supporting NICU patients.
Nursing/rounding station
The general nursing station area features computers and a large wall-mounted monitor for use during daily rounds. Important information about patients can be displayed on the monitor for enhanced collaboration.