Bump Watch: Family-centered NICU care in the Greater Houston area

September 3, 2014

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By Dr. Charles Hankins

As a Texas Children’s neonatologist, I have treated many premature and critically-ill infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). When babies are born prematurely, their lungs and other organs are still developing. They are entering the most critical stage of their young lives. Their parents entrust their newborns to us to provide the highest level of care possible.

Our mission at Texas Children’s Hospital has always been to build a healthy community of children. In some cases, this begins in premature and critically-ill infants. To achieve the best neonatal outcomes, Texas Children’s has partnered with community NICUs in the Greater Houston area to ensure these patients receive the right care at the right time and in the right place.

As chief medical officer for Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, I serve as the primary medical liaison to community physicians and work closely with them to expand access to patient care in the community setting, which is particularly important for the families of our NICU patients.

With a commitment to family-centered care, every effort is made to keep these infants close to their families in the community. Texas Children’s provides these local NICUs with administrative and clinical support, giving patients access to the latest treatments available in neonatal and pediatric care, state-of-the-art equipment and pediatric subspecialists.

If a child is born in one of the community hospitals and needs care offered only in a Level IV NICU, that baby is transferred immediately to our main campus at Texas Children’s Newborn Center, ranked No. 2 in the nation. When these babies graduate to a lower level NICU, the family can request transfer back to their community hospital and maintain the continuity of care which is so vital to helping these newborns thrive.

Texas Children’s is proud to work with these hospitals to provide high-quality care to newborns:

  • Houston Methodist West Hospital
  • Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital
  • Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital
  • Houston Methodist
  • St. Joseph Medical Center
  • CHI St. Luke’s Health – The Woodlands Hospital
  • CHI St. Luke’s Health – The Vintage Hospital

More than 2,000 NICU infants are cared for each year at Texas Children’s Newborn Center, making us one of the largest, most experienced NICUs in the country. Partnering with community NICUs in the Greater Houston area will ensure our critically-ill babies receive high-quality care, while helping us carry out our mission of creating a community of healthy children.