Advanced neonatal intensive care unit in Southeast Georgia

At Memorial Health Dwaine & Cynthia Willett Children's Hospital, the specialists in our Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are committed to providing high-quality care to our youngest patients. Our 82-bed NICU offers board-certified neonatologists and hospitalists on campus 24/7 to provide unparalleled newborn care.

While most high-risk women will have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies, you can take comfort in knowing our NICU is here for your baby if the need arises. In fact, we are the only hospital in Southeast Georgia to be recognized as a Level III NICU. This means you can trust us to provide exceptional care for your newborn like no other hospital in the region—with teams ready to help you and your baby under one roof.

To learn more about our NICU, please call our Consult-A-Nurse® team (800) 352-6762.

What is a NICU?

Newborns who are born prematurely or experience complications before or after labor and delivery may be admitted to a NICU, sometimes referred to as a neonatal ICU or neonatal intensive care nursery. A NICU is a unit in a hospital that is staffed by specially trained doctors, nurses and other medical professionals who provide skilled care for a range of medical conditions affecting newborn infants.

Advanced neonatal care

The NICU is located on the second floor of Memorial Health along with our labor and delivery unit. This allows us to keep families together and help new parents bond with their newborn. Our NICU is staffed by a team of compassionate medical professionals around-the-clock.

What to expect in our NICU

The environment in our NICU is carefully managed to enhance infant health with soft lighting and minimal noise to promote rest and healing. Breastfeeding mothers have access to breast pumps, as well as access to lactation consultants.

For infants who are almost ready to be discharged, we provide a transitional room. This room helps parents get used to spending time with their newborn outside of the NICU.

Educational support

A neonatologist is a doctor who specializes in newborn care. Neonatologists at our hospital collaborate with pediatric doctors in other sub-specialties to provide quality care for our littlest patients. Parents have 24-hour access to the neonatal team to ensure they feel connected to their children.

In addition to physicians, providers and nurses, the NICU is staffed by:

  • Child life specialist
  • Lactation consultants
  • Neonatal support staff
  • Pharmacists
  • Rehabilitation therapists
  • Respiratory therapists
  • Social workers

NICU live streaming

We know it is not always possible for you to remain by your newborn's side throughout their hospital stay. To help give you and your family peace of mind, our NICU is now equipped with bedside cameras to share a live stream of your baby while in the NICU. Parents can access a secure, private system that can be viewed on any smartphone, tablet or computer.

Neonatal transport team

Our Level III NICU receives hundreds of neonatal transports each year. If a baby is born at another hospital and requires specialized care, our neonatal transport team rapidly moves the baby to our facility. This team consists of specially trained neonatal nurses and respiratory therapists who provide care for newborns during transfer.

Virtual tours

To learn more about our NICU and women’s unit, please take a virtual tour.