To ensure newborns across Virginia and beyond with critical illnesses and complex medical conditions can access world-class, highly specialized care, UVA Health Children’s is expanding its neonatal intensive care unit.
“Our NICU is a shining example of UVA Health’s mission to transform health and inspire hope,” said Wendy Horton, PharmD, MBA, chief executive officer of UVA Health University Medical Center. “The expert care provided by this teams exemplifies why we are ranked the No. 1 children’s hospital in Virginia by U.S. News & World Report, and this expansion is vital to making sure every patient who needs care in our NICU can receive it.”
UVA’s 60-bed neonatal intensive care unit is regularly at capacity, which means UVA Health Children’s can’t always accept patients from other hospitals across the state and region who need care from the hospital’s team of top neonatal specialists.
To expand access to this lifesaving care, UVA Health Children’s is adding 40 beds to its neonatal intensive care unit at UVA Health University Medical Center, bringing the total number of beds in the unit to 100.
“Ensuring our smallest patients have every chance to thrive requires a team of experts available around the clock along with state-of-the art facilities and equipment,” said Cindy Bo, MBA, FACHE, chief of UVA Health Children’s. “So as UVA Health Children’s continues to invest in key initiatives such as new care providers and the latest clinical trials, this expanded facility is also vital to our ability to give these patients our very best.”
Madhu Misra, MD, MPH, physician-in-chief for UVA Health Children’s and chair of UVA’s Department of Pediatrics, said her team is excited about the planned expansion.
“The goal of our incredible team in the neonatal intensive care unit is to provide every patient who can benefit from our highly specialized experts with the care they need,” she said. “We are looking forward to serving even more patients and families in the years ahead.”
The expanded neonatal intensive care unit is slated to open in 2028. Once the additions to the neonatal intensive care unit are complete, UVA Health Children’s plans to expand its pediatric intensive care unit.
Article written by Eric Swensen, Public Information Officer, UVA Health.