NICU
In our Level III NICU, which opened in September 2021, we are able to offer more intense care for babies who are born premature or born needing specialized medical treatment.
Before the opening of our Level III NICU, our medical staff stabilized premature babies here before they would be transferred to a NICU out of town. Now, most babies who are born early are able to stay at East Alabama Medical Center for their care as they grow and improve to a level of health that is proper for discharge. East Alabama Health has two neonatologists on our medical staff that have the education, training, and experience to provide specialized care for newborns who require a NICU stay.
NICU Services and Special Features
Not only is our NICU outfitted with state-of-the-art medical equipment to help promote growth and development in our newborns, but it also provides a comfortable space for families to enjoy bonding with their baby and participating in his or her medical care and intervention.
Some of the features and services included in our new NICU are:
- A Milk Lab
- A twin room - This specially designed room consists of two adjoining patient rooms that are separated with sliding doors allowing families with twins to visit both babies at once.
- Pull-out couch, medical grade rockers, and a hospital grade breast pump in each room
- Pharmacy with a dedicated pharmacist
- Specialty in room lighting - A touch screen panel in each room provides different colored light options, which help with cone development of a newborn’s eyes as well as their circadian rhythm.
- Dedicated respiratory therapist
- Developmental therapy room
- 24-hour ventilation for patients who require ventilation
Vermont Oxford Network (VON)
East Alabama Medical Center is a member of Vermont Oxford Network (VON), a worldwide community dedicated to improving the quality, safety, and value of care for newborn infants and families. VON, a nonprofit collaboration, facilitates the world’s largest databases of practices and outcomes for neonatal care and supports data-driven quality improvement, education, and research. Through participation in a VON database, East Alabama Health receives benchmarking reports to identify local quality improvement initiatives with the goal of providing ever-improving care for infants and families.
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