With the region’s only Level IV NICU, CHoR provides unmatched care for premature and critically ill infants.
A $28 million, 20-bed neonatal intensive care unit in the Children’s Tower brings Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU’s total number of NICU beds to 60. This morning, officials cut the ribbon on the new unit, which complements the hospital’s existing NICU across the street in VCU Medical Center next to labor and delivery services.
“The care provided by the team in our CHoR NICU is unmatched in our region,” said Marlon Levy, M.D., MBA, senior vice president for VCU Health Sciences and CEO of VCU Health. “Our mission at VCU Health is to preserve and restore the health of all people, including our tiniest patients. With our 40-bed NICU continually at capacity, the need for this expansion to serve babies requiring critical, innovative medical care was evident – and we were honored to respond accordingly.”
Special care for tiny patients
The Level IV NICU at CHoR provides the highest level of care available for premature and full-term infants with critical medical needs. This includes a full range of heart and respiratory support, advanced imaging, as well as on-site surgical capabilities for any medical need.
Level IV NICUs are also prepared to care for micro preemies, such as Lennox Crutchfield who weighed less than one pound when he was born at 22 weeks, 6 days gestation. He spent 143 days in the CHoR NICU, undergoing intense monitoring and care while growing in size and strength. Lennox is now a thriving 3-year-old.
“As a regional referral center providing the highest level of neonatal critical care for the state of Virginia, our team’s responsibility extends to neonates not only born at VCU Medical Center, but from across the Commonwealth with the most complex medical conditions. This care requires the partnership of the skilled VCU Health high risk obstetrical teams,” said Karen Hendricks-Muñoz, M.D., MPH, physician-in-chief of CHoR, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at VCU School of Medicine, a practicing neonatologist and the William Tate Graham endowed chair in neonatal medicine. “Whether for specialized procedures or ongoing care, our neonatal transport team brings infants who have delivered at other hospitals by ground or air 24/7 for the expertise of our specialists.”
The Children’s Tower NICU spans 28,000 square feet with 16 single and two twin rooms that are among the largest in the country. Each patient room includes sleep accommodations, breastmilk storage and private bathrooms for parents.
Families also have access to a lounge and quiet room on the unit, along with amenities throughout the Children’s Tower. These include the in-hospital Ronald McDonald House, multifaith chapel, free parking, family-friendly cafeteria and the Teammates for Kids Child Life Zone for siblings.
“Shortly after opening the Children’s Tower in April 2023, it became clear that our community needed greater access to neonatal care of the highest level,” said Elias Neujahr, MHA, MBA, CHoR president. “We earmarked a portion of the unfinished shell space for the NICU, and I could not be more thrilled to celebrate its completion today. With the latest technologies and special touches bringing comfort to families, we are ready to welcome our first patients on January 31 – and thousands more after that.”