Just in time for the annual wave of babies, River Oaks Hospital opened its new $45 million, 145,000-square-foot building addition in August.  Of the 50 new licensed beds, 15 beds enlarged the hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), 13 are designated for obstetrics, and 22 are allocated for medical/surgical to be used primarily for orthopedic patients.

The Level III NICU, located on the second floor, allows for private or semi-private patient rooms. Instead of the traditional main nurses' station, the new NICU has several work stations for nurses, with everything nurses need to care for their patients located within close proximity to patients' rooms. The rooms are set up in a 'pod' fashion and are designed to facilitate work efficiency for the nurses and enhance patient care."

The new NICU also houses specialized equipment and developmental processes designed to provide care for extremely low birth weight babies.  The space is highly conducive to facilitating the care given to some of our smallest premature babies.

The antepartum and postpartum rooms are located on the third floor near the newborn nursery. All rooms are equipped with private bathrooms, flat screen TVs, internet access, and pull-out beds.  The addition also features another labor and delivery waiting area, and an extended stay family room in the NICU.