20 Years of Small Wonders

Baylor All Saints' Neonatal Intensive Care Unit celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Every mother-to-be counts down the months, days and hours until her baby is due, waiting in anticipation. But what if that day comes too soon? As a parent of a preemie, or any baby needing neonatal intensive care, it's comforting to know that the Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) has been caring for newborns for 20 years.

"We've come a long way," says Patty Green, RNC, BSN, clinical manager of the newborn nursery and NICU at Baylor All Saints. "When we opened the unit in 1987, we had eight beds. Today we have 20, and soon we'll have 63."

Tiny Patients, Big Staff
Baylor All Saints' NICU is a level III facility, meaning it can provide care for the most critically ill patients. "We care for babies of every gestational age," says A. Michael Porter, M.D., medical director of the neonatology department and a physician on the medical staff at Baylor All Saints. "With the exception of ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) and major surgery, we offer sophisticated, intensive care to the most critically ill neonates."

To care for such delicate patients, the NICU now has more than 60 staff members—triple the number there were in 1987. Today's staff provides interdisciplinary care and includes physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, case managers, neonatal dietitians and pastoral care personnel.

Together Again
Each summer, the NICU staff hosts a reunion for former patients and their families. "It's great to see the NICU graduates play and interact," Dr. Porter says. "It brings a whole different dimension to the work we do to see former sick neonates function as normal children."

Green agrees. "It's amazing to see how far they've come each year," she says. "Some of our first patients are in college now."

By Shelley Flannery