Special Care Nursery Gets New Name

NICU offers advanced care for pre-term babies

Published 10/25/2022

CMC’s Special Care Nursery—long regarded for the innovative care the unit provides babies and families—has a new name. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit & Family Suites delivers exceptional, state-of-the-art care for babies born as early as 30 weeks gestation with a new name that more accurately reflects the level of care the team provides. 

“When you first walk through the doors, we want you to feel welcome,” says Jessica Clem, MD, MPH, a Dartmouth Health Children’s provider who serves as NICU Medical Director. “What we do here and the people who work here are really what’s special, helping families care for their baby now and preparing them to transition home.”

The NICU & Family Suites offer an amazing collaboration between CMC’s specially trained nurses and Dartmouth Health Children’s neonatologists and advanced practice providers. In addition to care for pre-term babies born at CMC, the unit provides a special transport team to monitor high-risk newborns coming from other birthing centers. That same level of attention is provided to the families as well, promoting the bonding between parents and their newborns and preparing the whole family for baby’s eventual trip home. 

“Mom and baby are together from birth,” explains Unit Nursing Director Tanya Ricci, RNC-NIC, BSN. “Mom does her postpartum care in the same room as the baby’s NICU care. That’s very different from other hospitals in the country.” 

From the Women’s Wellness & Fertility Care Center to the Mom’s Place, the Pregnancy Care Center to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit & Family Suites, CMC’s maternal and infant health programs are a vital resource for our community and a living example of CMC’s mission and values.  

For more on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit & Family Suites, watch this video highlighting their services & expertise.