Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
Premature and critically ill babies need the best care. At Saint Alphonsus we are committed to providing comprehensive, high-quality care for pregnant women and their babies. If your baby is premature or has a serious health concern after birth, he or she will receive expert care in either our Level II NICU in Nampa or our Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Boise, which provides the highest level of care possible for infants in Idaho.
Neonatal ICUs (NICUs) are special nurseries designed to care for these infants. Saint Alphonsus has two state-of-the-art NICUs in the Treasure Valley.
Located in Boise, our Level III NICU provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary specialty care for preterm infants and sick full term infants. Our dedicated team includes a Neonatologist and NNPs that provide 24-hour on-site coverage.
This award-winning Level III NICU provides multi-disciplinary medical care for critically ill newborn infants who require treatment for a wide array of conditions. It provides 24-hour, full-service specialty care, allowing families from Boise and the surrounding areas in Idaho and eastern Oregon to receive expert treatment close to home. Our NICU includes a developmental care committee that provides developmentally appropriate, family-centered care.
Level II NICU in Nampa
The NICU at the Birkeland Maternity Center is staffed by the same experienced Neonatology team who care for babies in the Level III NICU at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center.
The NICU is the Birkeland Maternity Center is designed to keep babies close to their families whenever possible. And should the need arise, Birkeland is supported by Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, located just 15 minutes away in Boise.
Overnight transition rooms are available, which allow parents to stay in the same room as their baby and still have help nearby. This helps parents gain confidence and get used to taking care of their child before going home. Certified lactation consultants are available to help new mothers with questions and problems.
Specialized Care for Babies With:
- Extreme prematurity.
- Birth defects.
- Jaundice.
- Infectious diseases.
- Respiratory problems, including chronic lung disease.
- Cardiac problems, including congenital heart disease.
- Metabolic and endocrine disorders.
Features of the NICU Include:
- A family area that provides eating space, lockers to secure belongings, and a playroom for siblings.
- Overnight transition rooms, which allow parents to stay in the same room as their baby and still have help nearby.
- Certified lactation consultants who are available to help new mothers with questions and problems.
- Family centered care including daily rounds involving family, a Neonatologist, nutritionists, nurses, pharmacy staff, and occupational therapists.
- March of Dimes – NICU Family support, NICU Volunteers.
Our Specialized NICU Team
The NICU's team approach provides an atmosphere for parents and our expert staff to work together to achieve outcomes that exceed national benchmarks. The NICU team strives to engage families in the care of their infant by participating in daily multidisciplinary bedside rounding. Our expert staff includes neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners, nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers, occupational therapists, dietitians, pharmacists, lactation consultants, infection control specialists, and chaplains. Through specially developed programs developed by the neonatologists and NICU staff, the Saint Alphonsus NICU length-of-stay and complication rates are significantly lower than the national average.
