Hospital leaders cut ceremonial red ribbon to unveil new NICU rooms.
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) just got a 7,000-square-foot upgrade that will increase Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital’s (LLUCH) capacity to care for its tiniest patients.
For the first time at LLUCH, the NICU will have private rooms available for infants needing life-saving care and their families. The nine new single-family rooms will bring the total number of NICU beds to 93.
LLUCH’s NICU is the largest and only level 4 NICU in the Inland Empire.
Each room is large enough for two clinical workstations, the baby’s isolette and other monitoring equipment, and an area specifically for family members. The family space includes a sleep chair, a rocker for skin-to-skin contact, and a curtain for extra privacy.
Jessica Holtorf, director of NICU patient care services, said providing a space for the patient’s family member is intended for comfort, but it is also practical.
“It’s not home, but it is set up with the patients and parents in mind,” Holtorf said. “All of this is intended so they can participate in care.”
NICU expansion formally unveiled
The official unveiling took place Wednesday, November 11, a celebration at which Children’s Hospital leaders ceremonially cut a ribbon and remarked on the importance of the added space.
Peter Baker, senior vice president and LLUCH administrator, said the NICU expansion project represents a major advancement in the ability to care for premature and critically ill newborns.
“Today, we celebrate not only a new space, but a significant investment in the future of neonatal care throughout our region,” Baker said.
The expansion is estimated to allow LLUCH nurses and staff to care for an additional 150 patients annually.
Grant helps meet growing needs of community
Funding for the project was made possible through the Children's Hospital Program of 2018, also known as California Proposition 4. LLUCH received a total grant allocation of $135 million through this program, part of which was used for the NICU expansion project.
“Through a portion of this funding, we were able to expand and enhance our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to meet the growing needs of families throughout Southern California and beyond,” Baker said.
LLUCH was recently named a Best Children's Hospital for neonatology by U.S. News & World Report. To learn more about our Level 4 NICU, click here.
More stories about: Mother & Baby Children’s Hospital Children's health
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