DIVISION OF NEONATOLOGY

Clinic Facilities

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

The NICU is a 30,000 square foot facility located on the fifth floor of University Hospital/University Health System, San Antonio's only health system recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of America's Best Hospitals. University Hospital serves the general Bexar County population and referred private patients of the Health Science Center faculty. photo of NICU

The NICU has 32 beds for Level III care (intensive care) and 23 beds for Level II care (intermediate care). Over 3,000 newborns are admitted annually to the University Hospital, including 600 admissions to the NICU. A typical daily census in the NICU includes 16 Level III patients and 12 Level II patients.

Patient care is enhanced by the fact that a variety of NICU support facilities are located directly adjacent to the NICU patient care areas. These adjacent support facilities include:

  • a clinical laboratory staffed technicians around the clock performing blood gas determinations, glucose, bilirubin, hematocrit, and fetal scalp pH measurements;
  • a pharmacy that is staffed during daytime hours and equipped with controlled temperature refrigerator and freezer and laminar flow hood;
  • dedicated equipment for obtaining digital portable radiographs and a dedicated computer terminal for reviewing radiographs;
  • an x-ray conference room where a dedicated computer terminal and file of radiographs of patients are kept;
  • dedicated supply and respiratory therapy facilities;
  • a dedicated room for surgery and/or isolation;
  • offices for neonatologists, fellows, residents, and nursing staff;
  • conference rooms and parent education rooms;
  • parent/infant rooms where the parents can stay 24 hours a day as they learn to participate in the care of their recovering newborn prior to discharge;
  • a dedicated elevator connecting the NICU to labor and delivery one floor below; and
  • computerized bedside medical charting.

The NICU had one of the first "electronic medical records" in the USA and there exists an extensive patient data computer system with the ultimate goal of a "paper-free" NICU. Level II care is provided for preterm babies, infants of diabetes mothers, newborns with birth defects, post-surgical cases, and other categories of infants requiring intensive nursing care of a high level or observation for unstable or at-risk conditions. Level I care is provided for the growing premature, infants with sepsis or pneumonia, infants withdrawing from intrauterine drug exposure, and other infants requiring specialized nursing care.