Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

As you welcome a new member into your family, we want to welcome you into ours.

If you have a preemie, a high-risk pregnancy or a newborn with critical medical needs, be assured that our UMass Memorial Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) team uses innovation combined with compassion to treat the tiniest patients in the region.

In our relentless pursuit of healing, Our NICU has earned a national reputation for its family-centered care philosophy where families are an important part of their child's team.

 

We’re a Level III NICU and deliver the highest standards of medical and nursing care. Our staff members are expertly trained to care for your baby. We understand that you’re worried and concerned, and we encourage your participation in the ongoing care of your baby. 
 

What You Need to Know

  • More than 600 low-birth weight and high-risk infants are cared for annually.
  • Our NICU is internationally recognized for its quality care.
  • It is the region's only Level III NICU for high-risk obstetrical and neonatal care.
  • Our NICU has 49 beds, including 27 intensive care beds. Our 22-bed Special Care Nursery eases the transition to home as baby's health and well-being improve.
  • Our Family-Centered Childbirth center has 42 newborn beds.

You are encouraged to actively participate in the care of your infant, and join the medical and nursing staff in our daily rounds when we discuss your baby's treatment plans. Every infant is unique, and families are the most important and constant factor in an infant's life. Staff members respect and support the role of family as the primary caregivers for the infant's life.

Here are some of the staff you may meet during your stay:

  • Physician (24-hour on-site coverage)
  • NICU nurse manager/assistant nurse manager
  • Occupational and physical therapists
  • Nurse practitioner/physician assistant
  • NICU clinical coordinator
  • Child life specialist
  • Neonatal nurse
  • Dietician
  • Nurse education specialist
  • Lactation consultant
  • Respiratory therapist
  • Social worker
  • Care coordinator
  • Speech-language pathologist
  • Pharmacist

An Environment That Improves Outcomes

Muted lights, minimized noise and an environment that encourages bonding earned our NICU benchmark status by the international Vermont Oxford Group, making it a model for other hospital NICUs throughout the world.

This type of environment, among other things, has been shown to improve the survival of critically ill infants and helps babies get better faster. We do this by:

  • Creating a soothing environment similar to the womb
  • Promoting parent and child bonding, critical to infant survival
  • Providing families and physicians the privacy that is sometimes necessary to manage the most difficult conditions in the Antionette McCabe Family-Centered Suite
  • Reducing the external stimuli that can be stressors for newborns
  • Allowing physicians to perform more surgical procedures right in the NICU rather than in the operating room, minimizing the movement of the child from one environment to another 

Donate to the Children's Medical Center

Learn more about giving to the Children's Medical Center

Donate Now

Connect with us