SYRACUSE, N.Y.— (October 22, 2020) St. Joseph’s Health Hospital is proud to announce that its neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) celebrates 50 years today, October 22. The level III NICU was the first in the region when it opened in 1970.

“St. Joseph’s recognized the importance of having a highly-skilled, technologically-advanced environment 50 years ago,” said Dr. Jonathan Chai, NICU Medical Director. “Although the science and technology have changed dramatically over the years, our commitment to providing evidenced based, family-centered care has remained our priority.”

Sick or premature infants from 16 Central New York counties receive care in the NICU. The nursery is located on the same floor as Labor and Delivery, the Mother-Baby Unit and the Birth Place. Designed as a place for babies and parents, it is as calming and nurturing as it is technologically-advanced. Parents are considered an instrumental part of the healthcare team/decision making process and they are included in daily rounds to ensure consistent communication amongst the team.

“Having a sick or premature baby in the NICU disrupts the normal bonding process that is so critical to the well-being of the baby and family as a whole,” said Chai. “Our goal is to minimize that disruption by promoting the parents' involvement in all aspects of the baby's care, from holding and feeding to participation in medical decision making. Giving parents a sense of empowerment really helps to allay some of the stress of having a child in the NICU.”

To keep moms close by, St. Joseph’s gives them a room at the hospital when they can accommodate it.

St. Joseph’s Health Hospital is the only Baby Friendly hospital in Central New York, recognized for practicing the gold standard guidelines for breastfeeding education and support established by the WHO and UNICEF. They are also a two-time winner of the Guardian of Excellence award for Neonatal Intensive Care Patient Experience by Press Ganey, which recognizes top-performing health care organizations that have consistently achieved the 95th percentile or above in their performance. And, they are proud to be a “Cribs for Kids” certified safe sleep hospital which recognizes health care systems for their commitment to infant safe sleep through modeling and teaching safe sleep best practices.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary, St. Joseph’s Health Hospital and Rosamond Gifford are teaming up for “NICU Day at the Zoo”. 200 free tickets are available to former St. Joseph’s NICU patients and their families to visit the Zoo on Wednesday, November 11. Parents are invited to call 315-435-8511 ext. 8518 to request tickets and reserve a visit time.

About St. Joseph’s Health

St. Joseph’s Health is a regional non-profit health care system based in Syracuse, NY. St. Joseph’s has been an innovative leader in health care since our founding in 1869 as the first hospital open to the public in the city of Syracuse. Offering primary, specialty and home care, a Magnet-recognized hospital, and collaboration with community partners, St. Joseph's Health advances the well-being of the communities we serve through an expanding range of services to ensure our patients achieve optimum long-term health. St. Joseph’s is the only hospital in Syracuse to hold the LeapFrog ‘A’ safety rating, ranked by Consumer Reports among the top 15 heart surgery centers in the country, a designated Stroke Center and a U.S. News “Best Regional Hospital.” The St. Joseph’s Health Hospital NICU was the first in Syracuse and is celebrating its 50th Anniversary throughout 2020. St. Joseph’s Health is affiliated with St. Joseph’s Physicians, and is a member of Trinity Health.For more information, visit www.sjhsyr.org/legacy.”