Improving newborn intensive care
across eastern Iowa
P
regnancy was a breeze for Amber Becker of Cedar Falls. Everything went as expected. She didn’t even have a bit of morning sickness to contend with. Becker had the vision of a perfect birthday for her son, Joseph. “As planned, we arrived at Waverly Health Center to deliver,” said Becker. “I was in labor for about 20 hours and Joseph’s heart rate started decelerating so I had an emergency C-section. He was actually born on his due date, which was May 2.” Joseph’s birthday was far from perfect. Doctors rushed to his side and started chest compressions. He was having difficulty breathing.
“It was scary,” recalled Becker. “We were told he needed critical care. A short time later it was recommended he be transferred to St. Luke’s Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU). I was also transferred there several hours later. I was grateful to be going with him to Cedar Rapids.”
Outreach NICU Pankaj Nagaraj, MD, is the NICU medical director at UnityPoint Health – Allen Hospital in Waterloo. He is also a member of UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital’s NICU team. Allen’s 9-bed, Level II NICU cares for babies in Waterloo, Waverly and surrounding areas as far north as New Hampton and West Union. “From Dr. Nagaraj’s point of view, being part of St. Luke’s NICU team allows him to be part of a bigger group,” explained Dennis Rosenblum, MD, St. Luke’s NICU neonatologist. “He participates in our meetings, standards of care, policies and at the same time, we can set up a better system for coverage when he’s gone. It’s consistent and continuous.”
As part of his role with Allen and St. Luke’s, Dr. Nagaraj received a call from the staff at Waverly when Joseph was born. After evaluating Joseph’s clinical condition at the Waverly hospital, he recommended Joseph’s transfer to St. Luke’s where he could receive more specialized care. “In the past, some sicker babies born before 34 – 36 weeks were transferred to Iowa City,” said Dr. Nagaraj. “But now most babies born over 30 weeks are staying in the Allen NICU. Parents really see the benefits because they’re able to stay with their babies closer to home. There are some instances, such as the case with Joseph, where they need more critical and specialized care and that’s when we’ll transfer them to St. Luke’s with the intent to move them back to Allen as soon as they are medically stable.”
Critical care for babies St. Luke’s is the only Advanced Level II Regional NICU and Neonatology Center in the Cedar Rapids area. Other hospitals – like Waverly Health Center, transfer newborns to St. Luke’s when they need specialized care. Cedar Rapids tiniest baby ever born – at just 13 ounces – was born at St. Luke’s. Hospital staff has cared for over 9,000 babies. St. Luke’s NICU team
“ Parents really see the benefits because they’re able to stay with their babies closer to home.” Pankaj Nagaraj, MD, Allen Hospital NICU medical director and St. Luke’s NICU neonatologist
4 | unitypoint.org/cedarrapids