Proudly displaying the level IV Certificate of Designation recently awarded to Discoll Children’s Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit are: (from left) Steve Woerner, President and CEO of Driscoll Health System; Miguel DeLeon, MD, Medical Director of the NICU at Driscoll Children’s Hospital; Chris Joyal, RN, BSN, CPN, NICU Director/Neonatal Program Manager for Driscoll Children’s Hospital; and Trish Carr, PhD, RNC-NIC, Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Driscoll Children’s Hospital.
Driscoll Children’s Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit is now a level IV NICU, meaning it offers the highest level of care available for premature and critically-ill newborns. The unit recently received notification of the designation from the Texas Department of State Health Services. It is the first level IV NICU in South Texas to receive state designation.
The designation came after a rigorous site visit conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics’ NICU Verification Program earlier in the year said officials at Driscoll.
“This survey process gave us an opportunity to showcase the great work we do in the NICU,” said Trish Carr, PhD, RNC-NIC, Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Driscoll Children’s Hospital. “The success of our NICU is attributed to our experienced multidisciplinary team and neonatologists. I am so proud of our NICU team.”
Driscoll Children’s Hospital serves an area of South Texas that covers 31 counties and 33,000 square miles, more than any level IV NICU in Texas.
“The NICU Levels of Care designation is important for Corpus Christi and South Texas families because it provides the assurance that comprehensive medical care is available for their premature or sick babies, right in their backyard,” said Carr. “Staying near home and family is a crucial part of the healing process.”
Driscoll Children’s is one of only 10 NICUs across the state to receive the level IV designation so far. About 250 NICUs currently operating in Texas will need to reach that level before Sept. 1, 2018, or they stand to lose Medicaid reimbursement for neonatal services. Texas legislatures passed Levels of Care legislation in 2013 requiring all NICUs to undergo a site visit to verify the level of care provided to patients.
The hospital’s NICU was praised for having a “highly commendable commitment to serve a disproportionately underserved and geographically-challenged catchment area,” said surveyors from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“[Driscoll] has a strong culture that empowers people throughout the neonatal team to move quickly from idea to implementation,” the recommendation continued.
“We feel very honored for the certification,” said Miguel DeLeon, MD, Medical Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Driscoll Children’s Hospital. “And are so appreciative at many levels for the teamwork from all the disciplines, ancillary and administrative staff that made this happen without any deficiencies.”
