MTH's Level 3A NICU - A Unique Environment for Babies

Moses Taylor Hospital's Level 3A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is one of only several in the United States to offer the quiet, controlled atmosphere of private rooms. This unique environment helps foster the developmental care babies need and allows families to be closer to their infant.
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Five years ago, MTH opened a five-bed NICU. Now, thanks to the hospital's recent expansion, our NICU's innovative design can accommodate 15 babies in private rooms. "Our expansion has raised the level of neonatal care in the community and allows families to spend valuable private time with their babies while they remain in the hospital," says Beth Lavely, RN, BSN, Executive Director of Women & Children's Services at MTH. "We're thrilled to offer unique care delivery not provided by most hospitals in the United States, and this is a great benefit for our community."

Developmental Design

MTH is the second hospital in Pennsylvania to offer individual NICU rooms - Magee-Women's Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center was the first in the state to offer such cutting-edge service for premature and other high-risk newborns. The private room design is family-friendly and provides a developmentally sensitive environment to enhance neonatal outcomes and nurture families' bonding opportunities.

According to Ms. Lavely, "MTH's NICU design allows for more control of artificial and natural lighting as well as significant noise reduction. In addition, temperature can be controlled to suit babies individually." The private room is expressly suited to the unique needs of premature or critically ill newborns and the secure unit pioneers state-of-the-art monitoring technology that allows caregivers the ability to observe every infant's condition.

As children in the NICU develop, the room can be used more traditionally allowing for more and more daylight and families can interact more freely with their new arrivals. Additional features of the private NICU room include a small refrigerator for storing breast milk, an essential component to the baby-friendly intent status that MTH has held since 2000, and plenty of storage space. The unique design of the room also features comfortable furniture and even a small bench with a removable lid where siblings can stow toys and coloring books.

The result of using these kinds of features and techniques is that premature babies can thrive under better developmental care than ever before offered in a NICU environment.

Growing and Gaining

"Since expanding the NICU, we've given a higher level of personalized attention to each baby and fostered great camaraderie with the parents, and that will always be at the heart of what we do," says Luis de la Fuente, MD, neonatologist on staff at Moses Taylor Hospital. "It's incredibly important for us to uphold the family-centered NICU experience, and this amazing expansion makes it possible for us to do this for years to come."

MTH offers 24/7 in-house neonatology coverage and provides Level 3A care to infants and their families. The Family Birthing Suites' NICU at Moses Taylor Hospital is capable and equipped to care for even the smallest and most critically ill newborns in our community.

To learn more about the new 15-bed, private room NICU at Moses Taylor Hospital, please call (570) 340-2575.