Our Neonatal Continuing Care Program provides peace of mind and support for parents navigating their life outside the NICU.
Bringing home a newborn is scary for any parent but add in the complex medical needs of a premature or critically ill baby, and that fear can increase exponentially.
“At what should be a jubilant moment—finally taking their baby home after a long NICU stay—many parents experience a very real fear of losing the safety net of monitors, nurses and doctors who have been by their side day and night,” explained Dr. Tazuddin Mohammed, medical director of our NCCP. “Each family carries its own level of anxiety, shaped by the course of their infant’s medical treatment, their coping style, and the challenges they’ve faced along the way.”
The preparation for the long-awaited homecoming starts well before a baby’s NICU graduation.
“Our team is committed to ensuring parents feel supported, informed and confident long before they leave the unit,” said Dr. Mohammed. “We provide opportunities for parents to care for their infants independently in a monitored setting, allowing them to practice and build the skills they’ll need at home.”
How our Neonatal Continuing Care Program was born
When our physician-in-chief, Dr. Karen Hendricks-Muñoz, first joined us in 2012 she recognized the need for post-NICU care and developed a way to help parents navigate their treatment. The result was the NCCP, which is a comprehensive multi-disciplinary follow-up program that provides the guidance families need and help coordinating care for their babies.
The program follows babies for the first two years of their life, collaborates with their pediatrician or primary care provider, and provides parents with detailed visit notes that are easy to understand. The team also reaches out to early intervention programs when needed so those services can start immediately.
“It is a true one‑stop clinic where families can see a neonatologist, physical therapist, dietitian, social worker and psychologist all in one place,” explained Dr. Mohammed. “Each visit provides a comprehensive, 360‑degree evaluation of every high‑risk NICU graduate. The medical team addresses the infant’s unique medical and developmental needs, physical therapists conduct standardized assessments to monitor milestones, and the dietitian performs an in‑depth review of growth and nutrition.”
The visits aren’t just about the babies.
“Families also receive essential social and psychological support,” said Dr. Mohammed. “This coordinated approach ensures that every aspect of the infant’s well‑being is thoroughly evaluated and supported during a single visit.”
Graduates of any NICU throughout the state of Virginia can benefit from the NCCP, not only those who were cared for here at CHoR.
A reunion for parents and providers
The appointments not only identify the needs of NICU graduates, they also allow parents to reunite with their providers and allow them to show off their child’s progress.
“Almost every infant evaluated in the NCCP has spent at least a month or more in the NICU, and during that time we develop a strong bond with their families,” said Dr. Mohammed. “When parents return for follow‑up visits, their first reaction is often pure joy—they’re genuinely happy to see us again and deeply value the ongoing relationship. They find comfort in reconnecting with familiar faces who understand their baby’s NICU journey.”
Parents really value every aspect of the visits, even though the appointments can be lengthy.
“It’s important for parents to know the value of these appointments to address developmental concerns,” shared Caroline Zak, mom of baby Ellie, who spent seven months in our NICU. “But we also get to highlight how far our kids have come since their early days in the NICU.”
One of Ellie’s providers, Dr. Shaaron Brown, a physical therapist, sees babies while they’re inpatient and during NCCP appointments and gets a front row seat to their progress.
“It is so wonderful to see the babies and their parents transition from the NICU to home,” shared Dr. Brown. “It has been a long and oftentimes unexpected journey for them. When they return to NCCP clinic, you can see how much the babies have grown and changed, which is always so exciting!”
Dr. Brown’s enthusiasm for her tiny patients is evident to their parents.
“We absolutely love Shaaron Brown,” said Zak. “She was with us from Ellie's first days in the NICU all the way through our last NCCP appointment. Having the continuity of care was incredible because we got to see Ellie's progression through her eyes. She loves explaining all the intricacies of the developmental evaluation tools and is just so passionate about her work.”
Dr. Brown feels like it is an honor to be a part of these families’ lives.
“It is a privilege to be able to walk alongside them during their NICU journey and follow them for the first two years of life,” explained Dr. Brown. “The parents are amazing. They are brave, courageous and want to show off their child’s progress because they are so proud of them. We are all so proud of them.”