As of October 26, 201, about 20 special babies have moved into their new, homelike, all-private rooms in Kaiser Permanente San Diego’s newly constructed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
As part of a $25 million facilities expansion, the San Diego Medical Center has built a $20 million NICU with 30 beds designed to achieve the best possible care and comfort to enhance the family bonding experience.
The single-room model offers a quieter environment and the privacy to allow parents to bond with their child through feeding, holding and learning about the special care needed for their infant. Each private room features windows or diurnal light, which mimics day light to create a comforting environment for both family and baby. Each suite is furnished with a recliner chair and bed so parents can sleep in the room with their newborns. Privacy is afforded when there are critical medical needs that the physicians, caregivers and families are managing.
The hospital has also added eight single-room perinatal special care rooms with private bath/showers and large windows. The $5 million expansion offers expectant mothers a comfortable healing environment to help continue on to a healthy delivery.
“In addition to continued top-quality care, these new NICU suites will provide much-needed privacy, and a soothing and comfortable, state of the art healing environment allowing parents to focus on their children and begin their lives together,” said Dr. Matt Sebald, Kaiser Permanente medical director of the NICU.
[KP Tag]