Neonatal care expanding at Portneuf Medical Center and beyond

POCATELLO – There is more room to care for the tiniest of babies at Portneuf Medical Center following the recent expansion of its neonatal care unit.

The regional hospital in Pocatello announced the expansion of its neonatal care capacity in a Tuesday news release. It said the changes have been made based on two hospital initiatives.

The first initiative was a physical renovation of PMC’s NICU to add the Small Baby Unit, or a dedicated unit for “micropreemies” — infants that are born at or before 26 weeks of gestation.

According to a report from March of Dimes, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the health of moms and babies, there are 447 babies born in Idaho in an average week. About 40 of those babies are born preterm (before 37 weeks of gestation); 31 of those 40 are considered late preterm births (between 34 and 36 weeks gestation), and five are considered very preterm (less than 32 weeks gestation).

PMC’s new Small Baby Unit, which has four beds, was designed to feature soundboards and rubberized flooring to support neurological development, according to the hospital’s release. These features dampen noise and dim lighting to create a soothing environment for the infants.

“The first few weeks of life are a critical window for a micropreemie’s brain development,” said Dr. Elizabeth O’Donnell, a neonatologist at Portneuf, in the release.

“By creating the Small Baby Unit, we can control the environment through minimizing light and sound to mimic the womb as closely as possible,” O’Donnell continued. “This specialized care is essential for protecting their fragile nervous systems and ensuring the best long-term developmental outcomes.”

These four added beds bring the total number of beds in the PMC NICU to 20, making it “one of the largest in the state,” the release says.

The hospital says the second initiative behind its NICU expansion is the launch of a pilot tele-NICU program to support hospitals throughout the region.

“Our goal is to ensure that every baby in our region has access to high-level neonatal expertise, regardless of where their journey begins,” O’Donnell said.

The pilot program utilizes virtual consultations that allow PMC neonatologists to collaborate with physicians in other hospitals on the care of newborn babies. The hospital says this “ensures that infants receive expert-level oversight immediately, regardless of their location, while facilitating a seamless transfer to PMC if a higher level of care is required.”

“Tele-NICU allows us to support our colleagues at smaller facilities, providing peace of mind to families and ensuring that if a baby needs to be transferred, they are stabilized and ready for transport under the guidance of our specialists,” said O’Donnell.

PMC says its NICU program develops individualized care plans for babies by working closely with obstetricians, maternal fetal medicine specialists, as well as the baby’s family. It says the Small Baby Unit is staffed by “a comprehensive interdisciplinary team, including neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners, neonatal nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, dietitians and specialists in speech (feeding), occupational and physical therapy.”

“PMC is deeply committed to our smallest patients,” the release states.

For more information on the NICU at PMC, visit www.portneuf.org/services/nicu.

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