“Miracles Happen Here” is more than a slogan on the wall
August 6, 2001. A tiny baby becomes the first patient at the newly opened Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise. From humble beginnings with only six beds tucked behind a nurse’s station in the maternity ward, today the Saint Alphonsus NICU is an award-winning, state-of-the-art 32-bed Level 3 NICU.
“A lot has changed in the field of neonatal intensive care in the last 20 years, and we’ve fortunate and blessed to be at the front of all of those changes to where now provide virtually every kind of respiratory care – invasive and non-invasive, we provide pediatric surgical care to the tiniest babies,” said Dr. Stewart Lawrence, MD, the NICU Medical Director, who has worked in the unit since Day One. Dr. Lawrence practices at Saint Alphonsus with Mountain States Neonatology, an affiliate of Pediatrix Medical Group. “I’ve had many incredible memories through these past 20 years of taking care of babies in this unit. Babies on the cusp of viability as early as 23 weeks of pregnancy, as small as a pound at birth.”
Over the years, the NICU has evolved to its current configuration, featuring designated areas for each family, five sleep rooms with shower facilities for parents who need to be near their baby, and overnight transition rooms, allowing parents to stay in the same room as their baby before taking their newborn home.
The words “Miracles Happen Here” are painted on the wall of the NICU waiting room. Nurses who have worked in the unit since it opened say there’s a family atmosphere that comforts families and helps colleagues provide care for premature and critically ill babies.
“The best part of my job is building long term relationships with families. I love working with babies and I love the people I work with. We are family. We have been with each other through good times and bad times. It is an amazing group of people to work with,” said Noreen Bevington, RN.
“NICU nurses are very protective of their patients. We like to protect our babies and make sure everything that is being done is the right thing at the right time. We want to minimize any kind of harm that might come their direction. We are definitely mama bears,” added Liesa Wood, RN.
Parents who have had infants cared for in the NICU say that family approach has made the difference for their children and families.
“It’s a family you never wanted to be part of, and expected to be part of, but love being part of,” said Lisa Reed, whose now 13-year old twins, Logan and Lauryn, were both NICU patients due to complications. “They gave me my babies. And that’s the greatest gift anyone could give.”
Sara Alzheimer’s daughter Anika was born at 32 weeks, weighing four pounds, 2 ounces and spent 33 days in the NICU. She’s now 14, ready to start her freshman year in high school. “She’s an avid cross-country runner, plays the cello and sings. She’s a very active young lady,” said Alzheimer. “You’re always grateful for those people and the love they gave your child when you couldn’t be there.”
Oliver Shang spent 120 days in the NICU at birth. For his mother, Renee, the care provided by Saint Alphonsus doctors, nurses and support staff was a blessing. “I don’t just credit them with the care and the saving of Oliver’s life. I credit them with my mental health, the strength of our marriage, and our bond as a family unit. They really did care for all of us and address the needs of all four of us and not just the care of Oliver. They’re seeing us as parents on the worst days of our lives, but the care and the patience they show really impacts the whole family long-term.”
In 20 years, more than 4,300 babies have been treated in the NICU. Most were born at Saint Alphonsus, but nearly 1,000 newborns were transferred to the NICU for care.
The Saint Alphonsus NICU was the first in Idaho to use neonatal body cooling for babies who were deprived of oxygen during the last part of the laboring process. The treatment lowers the baby’s body temperature to treat hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, a neonatal brain injury that can lead to epilepsy, developmental delays and motor and cognitive skill impairment.
Many NICU graduates maintain relationships with their medical teams, and participate in fall Harvest Festivals, holiday parties and other activities. The Saint Alphonsus NICU has received numerous awards in the past 20 years, including the Family Practice Residency of Idaho Teacher of the Year and The NICU Heroes Award from Mead Johnson Nutrition and Hand to Hold, a national nonprofit Neonatal ICU parent support organization.
From left: Patty Soran, RN, Hilerie King, RT, Ron Olsen, RN, Leisa Wood, RN, Dr. Stewart Lawrence, MD, Pam Johnson, RN,
Todd Montrose, Pharmacist and Gerri Frazier, RN have worked in the Saint Alphonsus Neonatal Intensive Care Unit since it opened 20 years ago.