CROUSE HEALTH, 736 Irving Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13210 USA, 315.470.7111


The Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery

Holding Hands
The Walter R.G. Baker Neonatal Intensive Care Unit:
An Overview

Crouse Hospital's Walter R.G. Baker Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is located on the 9th floor of the Kienzle Family Maternity Center. It is the New York State-designated Level 4 regional referral center for specialized, intensive infant care. Each year, more than 800 premature and critically ill newborns are cared for in the NICU. Many of them are transported to Crouse from one of 20 birthing hospitals in the region that Crouse has an affiliation with.

Of the 800+ babies we care for annually, 50% are premature - born at less than 37 weeks gestation; 50% are infants with birth defects, breathing problems or cardiac problems, or who are recovering from neonatal surgery. Babies born with heart or lung diseases may require temporary support from an ExtraCorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machine, which allows blood to be oxygenated outside the body. Crouse is the only hospital in Central New York to offer this highly specialized lifesaving service, which is just one more reason we serve as the regional center for high-risk maternity, obstetrics and newborn care services.

Every year, our NICU staff host a NICU Graduates Reunion (formerly referred to as the "Preemie Reunion") at which hundreds of former "preemies" and their parents come back to the hospital to visit with the doctors and nurses who took care of them during their first weeks and months of life.



Visiting the NICU

Because the NICU is very busy with many critically ill infants, visiting is often limited to parents and grandparents, and in some instances, siblings.

Visiting is not permitted during physician rounds or change of shift so that the staff can provide optimal care for all infants and ensure patient confidentiality. Any special visiting needs of a family will be addressed at the parent's request with a NICU nurse manager.



Visiting Hours

(Please refer to your visiting information card for specific hours)

Parent Visitation
Parents are welcome and encouraged to visit frequently.
Family Visitation
Visiting for family members is open to grandparents and your infant's siblings. Parents may take pictures to show to other family members and friends who may not be able to visit the NICU. Parents may visit during the day until 8:30 p.m.
To help you communicate progress and other information about your baby to friends and family, Crouse Hospital is pleased to offer CarePages, a simple-to-use free service that helps family and friends stay in touch before, during and after hospitalization. Simply go to crouse.org, click on the CarePages link to set up a personalized site where you can share the latest news and receive messages of support in a non-intrusive way.
When visiting, please follow these guidelines:
  • Remove coats and hang in provided area.
  • Wash and dry hands and arms thoroughly.
  • Put on yellow gown with ties in the back.
  • Rewash hands if you have touched your face, hair, purse, camera, etc.
  • Remain at your own baby's bedside.
  • Only parents are allowed to hold their infant.
  • Only two visitors at the bedside at a time. Grandparents must be accompanied by a parent.
  • In the PCN, siblings visit at the window and must be accompanied by a parent. Proof of immunization is required.
  • Visitors must be free of illness (colds, coughs, rash, diarrhea, sore throat, vomiting, etc.).
  • When finished with visit, remove yellow gown and place in linen bag.


Identification

Parents should keep their hospital identification (ID) bands that match their baby's ID band. For the safety and well-being of your baby, visitors may be required to show identification at any time. Valid identification includes parent/baby bracelets and/or any picture identification.

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Getting Information About Your Baby

Do not hesitate to ask your baby's doctor, nurse practitioner, nurse or developmental specialist any questions you may have about your baby's condition. To avoid delays, it is best not to call around change of shift (7 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.). All calls are welcome, but please designate one family member to serve as your primary spokesperson.

The NICU staff is instructed to give specific information to parents and general information to grandparents. Please inform other friends and relatives that they will not be given information over the phone about your baby's condition. Exceptions to this policy must be approved by the nurse manager.

CarePages
To help you communicate progress and other information about your baby to friends and family, Crouse Hospital is pleased to offer CarePages, a simple-to-use free service that helps family and friends stay in touch before, during and after hospitalization. Simply go to crouse.org, click on the CarePages link to set up a personalized site where you can share the latest news and receive messages of support in a non-intrusive way.

NICU Knowledge System
Caring for and raising a baby with delicate health can be a scary experience for parents and caregivers. That's why we offer the NICU Knowledge kiosk system, which helps parents stay better informed about caring for babies born prematurely. Located in the NICU's parent and family lounge, this system offers interactive, touch-screen technology to parents, who are able to learn more about their babies' special needs.

The NICU Knowledge system includes learning sections such as: High-Tech Mommy, an explanation of all of the equipment used in the NICU; Nurturing Touch, a list of positive touch techniques to use with premature babies; and Important Terms, a description of medical terms with which new parents might not be familiar. The kiosk also teaches parents about the different types of medical staff in Crouse's NICU, who together help ensure the good health of their babies. In the Going Home section, family members can show that they've learned enough to take their babies home before they are discharged. Parents are able to print out all of this information and bring their newly acquired knowledge home with them.

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Use of Cameras and Video Equipment

Photos of your baby may be taken with your camera anytime. Please do not photograph other infants or hospital personnel.

Professional photographers can provide portrait photographs prior to discharge. Arrangements for this service may be made at the nurse's station. There is a fee for the purchase of these photographs. A video camera may also be used to record your baby (but please do not pan the nursery or film other babies). We ask that video recording be limited to 3-5 minutes per day.

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Social Services

We realize that having your baby admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit is an unexpected and stressful event. A social worker is available to provide support and counseling. She can also can assist you with discharge planning and help you obtain appropriate community services as needed.

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Infant Health Assessment Program (IHAP)

A public health nurse may contact you regarding this statewide program, which involves your local Public Health Nursing Service, your healthcare insurance provider and the New York State Department of Health. It is designed to ensure that children will receive the help needed for optimal growth and development in the early years.

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Financial Programs and Other Services

The Crouse Hospital social work department offers the following helpful information.

1.If your baby stays in the hospital 30 days or more, you may apply for Medicaid insurance through the hospital's business office. Call (315) 470-7322 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to inquire.

2.If your baby weighed 4 pounds or less at birth, you may apply for state financial aid. Call 315/470-7009 to inquire.

3.There is an early intervention service coordinator in your county who can help you access services for your child if needed. Call your local public health department for more information.

4.If your baby has a condition that could cause him or her to be mentally or physically disabled, you may apply for supplemental Social Security (SSI) benefits. Call 1-(800)-772-1213 or your local Social Security office for further information.

5.If your baby requires skilled nursing care at home, the NICU social worker will speak with you about special programs that may be available, such as Medicaid waiver and Crouse Hospital's Care at Home program. To speak with a social worker, call 315/470-7561.

6.If you have Medicaid insurance and you have transportation needs, contact a social worker at 315/470-7561.

Please call 315/470-7561, should you have any questions.

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Overnight Accommodations

Ronald McDonald House - A hospital referral by social work is necessary and rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis. There is a small fee involved.

Nearby hotels - Some hotels have made special arrangements with our hospital to offer discounts to patients' families. Call the hospital's admitting office at 315/470-7361 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to obtain a hotel discount flyer.

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Feedings

Many of the infants in the NICU are too ill to be fed the way that a well newborn is fed. When a sick infant is admitted to the NICU, it may be necessary to start intravenous (IV) fluids to provide nutrition and give medications.

IV therapy provides fluids through a small tube that rests in a vein on the surface of the infant's arm, leg or scalp. Some babies, especially premature babies, will need to be fed with a feeding tube until they grow and mature. Larger babies may require this method of feeding due to their respiratory status. This kind of feeding can only be done by the NICU staff. When your baby's physician decides that your baby is ready to be fed orally, the best feeding method will be determined. Discuss your baby's feeding schedule with our nursing staff if it has been determined that your baby is ready to bottle or breast feed.

Comprehensive information about feeding and other pertinent topics related to the care of your infant can be found on the NICU Knowledge interactive touch screen information system located in the NICU parent/family lounge.

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Breast-Feeding

If you had planned to breast-feed your baby, be sure the baby's physician and NICU staff are aware of this. Breast-feeding instruction is available. If your baby is not being breast fed or bottle fed yet, or is being fed by the tube method, it is still important to start collecting your breast milk to bring to the NICU. Breast-feeding consultants are available to assist. Just ask your nurse.



Storage of Breast Milk

Breast milk can be stored in a clean, closable container. Four-ounce plastic baby bottles or plastic bottle liners are a good choice. Small glass bottles are also available from the NICU.

Milk can be stored in a refrigerator for up to 24 hours, in a refrigerator freezer for up to one month and in a deep freeze (zero degrees Fahrenheit) for six months.

All breast milk brought to the hospital for your infant should be frozen and labeled with your name, date and time of collection.



Transporting Breast Milk

The best way to transport frozen breast milk is in a cooler with ice. It should stay frozen for the length of time it takes you to come to the hospital, otherwise it will have to be discarded.

If you do not have a cooler, wrap the bottles and some ice in newspaper and place it inside a plastic bag. This may keep the milk frozen long enough to transport it to the hospital.

Comprehensive information about feeding and other pertinent topics related to the care of your infant can be found on the NICU Knowledge interactive touch screen information system located in the NICU parent/family lounge.

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What You Can Do

Even if your baby is premature and/or sick, you are a very important part of his or her life. One of the most important ways to parent during this time is to visit your baby often.

Your baby can hear your voice. Speaking in a soft calm voice is soothing and will help him or her get to know you. When touching your baby, always use firm but gentle touch, not a light tickle touch. If you are unable to visit, feel free to phone the nursery to get information on how your baby is doing.

You may bring in a few special toys to put in your baby's bed (please make sure they are washed prior). Appropriate toys include child-proof music boxes, non-breakable mirrors and colorful, washable toys with faces on them. Mark each toy with your baby's name. Please do not bring in large stuffed animals or balloons.

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Neonatal Follow-Up

Since prematurity or illness in the newborn period may affect your baby's development, all babies who were born more than two months early or were seriously ill will return to the hospital's developmental follow-up clinic when the baby is six months old (from your due date). Our staff will call you to set up the appointment.

At this visit, your baby's development and health will be discussed with you. A report of the clinic results will be sent to your baby's physician. There is no fee for the visit.

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Transporting Your Baby

The NICU located at Crouse Hospital is the Regional Referral Center for the 15-county Central New York region. Babies born at Crouse Hospital or at any hospital within this region may be admitted to the NICU for intensive care.

When infants born at an outlying hospital require intensive care, a transport team from Crouse's NICU is sent to the referring hospital in an ambulance equipped for the care of sick newborns. The transport team - consisting of specially trained nurses and respiratory therapists, and occasionally a physician or a nurse practitioner - begin caring for the sick baby as soon as they arrive at the local hospital. Once the baby is stabilized, he or she is transported by ambulance or helicopter to the appropriate facility. Once an infant no longer requires specialized intensive care, he or she will be transported back to a hospital closer to the infant's home.

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Who's Who in the NICU

A list of all the professionals who care for you and your infant can be found on the NICU Knowledge system located in the parent/family lounge. Here's a brief rundown:

Neonatologist
A pediatrician with advanced training in the care of sick newborns and premature infants. There are seven in our NICU.
Neonatal Nurse Manager
The nurse responsible for overall unit operations (we have two).
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP)
A registered nurse (RN) who has received special training to care for infants in the neonatal intensive care unit under the direction of a neonatologist. Eleven NNPs provide around-the-clock care in our NICU.
Neonatal Staff Nurse
A registered nurse (RN) who has had training to care for babies in the neonatal intensive care unit. All nursing staff on the NICU are registered nurses (RNs).
Pediatric Resident
A physician receiving special training in the care of infants, children and teenagers.
Respiratory Therapist
A registered therapist (RT) trained to assist in the operation of respirators and other forms of respiratory support.
Social Worker
A professional with special training to help families cope with their infant's hospitalization and to help them make necessary housing, transportation and financial arrangements. The social worker also assists with discharge plans.
Developmental Specialist
A professional with training in the development of infants who can answer any questions about your baby and will evaluate your baby in the NICU developmental follow-up clinic.

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Helpful Information

Parking
After a physician determines an infant will be hospitalized for an extended stay, parents can purchase a garage parking pass. This pass may be obtained at a reduced monthly fee, payable in advance. The parking office is open from 7 a.m.- 3 p.m. on weekdays, and is located on the first floor of the hospital parking garage on South Crouse Avenue. For you convenience, valet parking is also available at the Irving Avenue entrance of the hospital.
Syracuse University Dome Events
Because we share the same general area as Syracuse University, please be aware that parking in the university area is limited during dome events. Please plan your visiting time accordingly.
Smoking
For the health of our staff, patients and visitors, Crouse Hospital is a smoke-free environment.
Parent/Family Lounge
The lounge is located adjacent to the NICU. Telephones, rest rooms and vending machines are also available in this area.
Cafeteria
The hospital cafeteria is open from 6:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. every day.
Medical Bills
The hospital business office can answer questions about your baby's hospital expenses. Business office representatives can best serve you between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., on weekdays. Call 315/470-7276.
Physician Bills
NICU physician billing is separate from hospital billing. The physician billing representative is available in the Newborn Services office, located just outside the NICU nursery, from 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. on weekdays.
Spiritual Care
Chaplains representing Protestant, Catholic and Jewish faiths can assist you during your baby's hospitalization. The hospital's Bob Maher Memorial Chapel is also available for your use. It's located on the first floor of the West Tower (ask you nurse for directions). More information on spiritual care services at Crouse can be obtained by calling 315/470-7615.

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Supporting Crouse Hospital

Many times our patients and their families and friends ask how they can show their gratitude for the care they or a loved one received at Crouse Hospital.

Crouse Health Foundation is available to assist those who would like to help the hospital in this way. Gifts to the foundation benefit the hospital in a variety of ways: by funding needed equipment, providing continuing education for our healthcare team and making special projects a reality.

To find out more about the many ways you may make a gift to help our hospital and, if you'd like, acknowledge someone special, please call or write Crouse Health Foundation, 736 Irving Ave., Syracuse, N.Y., 13210. The telephone number is 315/470-7702. If you would like to speak with someone from the foundation during your infant's hospital stay, call ext. 7702.

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New York State SPARCS Message

New York state requires hospitals to share the following letter about its Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) with our patients.

Dear Patient:

This is to notify all hospital patients that the New York State Office of Health Systems Management has developed a statewide data system, known as the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS), and that all acute care hospitals are required to submit to SPARCS certain billing and medical record information for all patients. This information in SPARCS will be used for financial studies, rate setting, utilization review, health planning, epidemiology and research studies.

Please be assured that under this program:

1. The New York State Office of Health Systems Management will not receive the name of any patient or any information which will enable a patient to be identified within the SPARCS system.

2. Regulations have been enacted protecting a patient's privacy and confidentiality by restricting access to any sensitive information in SPARCS and assuring review of all such requests by an independent public review board.

3. Additional regulations have been enacted to control all access to SPARCS and to provide physical security for SPARCS data.

4. SPARCS is not designed to identify specific patients; instead, it is structured to provide information on patterns of illnesses and costs of care in hospitals.

This hospital is required to submit patient medical record and billing data to the Office of Health Systems Management pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c) of section 400.18 of Article 1, Subchapter A, Chapter V, Title 10 (Health) of the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York. The privacy, confidentiality and security of the information supplied is protected pursuant to section 400.18(e) of Article 1, Subchapter A, Chapter V, Title 10 (Health) of the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York.

For further information concerning SPARCS, please contact: Director, Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) Bureau, Office of Health Systems Management, Tower Building, The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza, Albany, N.Y. 12237.

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