SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Nov. 16, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital has unveiled its new newborn ICU that will assist families needing highly specialized intensive care.
“The new newborn ICU at Primary Children’s Hospital is the most highly specialized NICU in the Intermountain West, providing surgical services, critical care including heart-lung bypass, and a multitude of pediatric specialists to provide care to infants with the most complex medical conditions,” said a news release from Intermountain Healthcare.
“The space is double the size of the original unit and equipped for overnight parental stays and with state-of-the-art technology designed for the care of tiny and medically fragile infants.”
All rooms are private, with space for a parent to spend the night. Each room includes a pump for nursing mothers and Angel Eye cameras above the baby’s crib, so parents can view their children when they’re away. An expanded waiting area will help support families.
The new newborn ICU is part of Intermountain Healthcare’s “Primary Promise” to create the nation’s model health system for children. This investment of at least $500 million in children’s health will be shared by Intermountain Healthcare and community philanthropic support through an emerging campaign organized by the Intermountain Foundation, the news release said.
“This model system starts with helping the most vulnerable babies heal and thrive in our neonatal intensive care unit,” said Katy Welkie, RN, chief executive officer of Primary Children’s Hospital and vice president of Intermountain Children’s Health.
“Each baby and family have their own room, with in-room accommodations for overnight parent stays, improved infection prevention, technology, and privacy for families, helping us to support the child first and always in our care.”
Intermountain’s model health system for children will feature a blend of program, research, and capital expansion, and bring together specialized pediatric caregivers from multiple Intermountain facilities and Primary Children’s pediatric partners at the University of Utah Health.
The initiative is designed to serve children in a 400,000 square mile area encompassing Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, and Alaska.
Primary Children’s original newborn ICU opened in 1990 on the west side of the hospital’s top floor. The new 34,000-square-foot NICU is across the hall and has double the square footage of the original.
