Halifax Health operates the area's only 24-hour Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, or NICU. The NICU provides unique services for about 200 newborns per year that require intensive care due to prematurity or illness diagnosed around the time of delivery. Located in the Center for Women & Infant Health, the NICU is staffed by board certified neonatologists and nurses who specialize in neonatal care.
The nine-bed unit opened in April 1975. In 1977, Dr. YB Au Yeung joined the staff as the first full-time neonatologist. As a result, the neonatal mortality rate in the area dropped from 21 to 12 per 1,000 births. Through it's partnership with the University of Florida College of Medicine at Jacksonville, neonatologists Peter G. Taves, MD, and Deborah A. Donlon, MD, currently staff the 13-bed NICU at Halifax Health. Drs. Taves and Donlon provide around-the-clock, on-site neonatal care and facility direction.
In addition to the improved outcome from immediate, on site care, the continued care for these infants in the families' hometown is important. Parents have a better opportunity to be present and bond with their infants while experiencing less stress from travel to hospitals outside of the area.
Why is the availability of a 24-hour NICU important - even for women with healthy pregnancies and healthy babies? Listen to Jen Engler's Story or View her video testimonial.
At Halifax Health, our most precious patients are cared for by dedicated physicians and clinicians in a caring, collaborative environment.
More about our Center for Women & Infant Health.
