HCA Healthcare’s NICU teams deliver lifesaving care for babies born sick or premature

Delivering more than 212,000 babies annually, HCA Healthcare is uniquely positioned to give moms and babies a healthier tomorrow. We use data from our hospital births to look for insights to improve prenatal, natal and postnatal care. During Prematurity Awareness Month, we honor the experiences of HCA Healthcare’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) families and the dedicated NICU professionals who care for them.

With more than 90 NICUs across HCA Healthcare, we are committed to providing specialized care to newborns born prematurely or sick. Within our system, we have NICUs spanning from Level I to Level IV, meaning that regardless of hospital of birth, we are equipped to get infants the care they need when they need it. Our Level IV NICUs offer the highest level of care available for newborns who are born before 32 weeks and weigh less than 1,500 grams, are critically ill, need equipment to help them breathe, or may need surgery.

Through a multi-disciplinary, family-centered approach to neonatal care, HCA Healthcare’s NICU specialists care for babies experiencing preterm birth, birth defects, surgical or genetic conditions or other diagnosis. Our expert NICU teams include pediatric surgeons, neonatologists, neonatal nurses, respiratory care specialists, physical and occupational therapists, case managers, social workers and lactation consultants.

Partnering with the March of Dimes

Through HCA Healthcare’s long-standing partnership with March of Dimes, a leading nonprofit fighting for the health of moms and babies, we’ve created programs and initiatives aimed at improving maternal and infant health:

• 39 Weeks initiative: HCA Healthcare and March of Dimes conducted a landmark study of non-medically necessary deliveries prior to 39 weeks gestation. Using data from 27 hospitals and 18,000 deliveries over three months, HCA Healthcare found an increased risk of illness for infants delivered at 37 and 38 weeks, compared to 39 weeks or later. This led HCA Healthcare to implement evidence-based protocols prohibiting elective delivery prior to 39 weeks. These protocols have since become the standard of care in hospitals worldwide.
• Postpartum education: New moms are at risk of serious and sometimes life-threatening health complications in the days and weeks after giving birth, including high blood pressure, hemorrhage and perinatal depression. HCA Healthcare and March of Dimes collaborate to educate providers and patients on the importance of their postpartum follow-up and encourage mothers to schedule future visits before leaving the hospital.
• Reducing unnecessary C-sections: Case studies and evidence-based practices show C-sections may increase risks for Nulliparous, Term, Singleton, Vertex (NTSV) births, or those of first-time, low-risk mothers with a single baby in the head-first position. In these cases, avoiding an elective C-section improved maternal and neonatal outcomes. We are working with the March of Dimes to educate physicians and nurses about these findings through peer-to-peer education.
• Low dose aspirin to prevent preterm birth and preeclampsia: HCA Healthcare supports March of Dimes’ new “Low Dose, Big Benefits” initiative, aimed at decreasing the adverse effects of preeclampsia and preterm birth through the use of low-dose aspirin. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, like preeclampsia, are among the leading causes of deaths, particularly for Black moms. Preeclampsia affects 1 in 25 pregnancies in the US, with potential impacts on mom and baby during pregnancy, labor, and delivery and even across both of their lifetimes. Studies show that pregnant people at an increased risk for preeclampsia who take low dose aspirin may reduce their risk of preeclampsia by 15% and their risk of preterm birth by 20%.

Did you know? In 2023, six HCA Healthcare divisions supported March for Babies walks across 10 markets through leadership roles and fundraising, providing over $610,000 to ensure all moms and babies have a healthy beginning. HCA Healthcare has contributed over $3.9 million to March of Dimes through a combination of sponsorships and support, colleague fundraising, and matching funds.

HCA Healthcare NICU colleagues share their “why”

Many of the more than 99,000 nurses across HCA Healthcare will attest that nursing is not just a profession – it’s a calling. Whether the calling comes from a personal experience or that of a loved one, HCA Healthcare nurses share what’s behind their desire to deliver care in the NICU below.

A full circle moment for Utah NICU nurses

After a long career in the NICU at HCA Healthcare’s St. Mark’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, and making a difference through bedside care, NICU Director Jeanne Marcial continues to shape the future of the unit’s success as a nurse leader. “For 27 years, I’ve had the privilege of working in the NICU, caring for countless infants,” said Jeanne. “Never did I imagine that one day, I would be hiring one of those infants as a nurse in our unit.”

However, that’s what happened when she recently invited a new nurse named Kaylee Olsen to join her team. Kaylee was born at St. Mark’s Hospital decades ago at just 27 weeks, weighing only 2 pounds, 2 ounces at birth. “My grandparents still remember visiting me every day at St. Mark’s Hospital where I spent about three months as a NICU patient,” said Kaylee.

When Kaylee shared her connection to the unit, she discovered that six of her new colleagues were a part of the team who determinedly cared for her all those years ago…feeding her, changing her and helping her tiny body grow and thrive. “We eagerly looked through our old photo albums, and sure enough, there were pictures of her from her time in our care,” Jeanne shared. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see one of our former patients now grown up and achieving her dreams.”

Kaylee has always loved caring for others and began working as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) as a teenager. For her, it’s a full-circle moment to be working in St. Mark’s Hospital’s Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which provides comprehensive, critical care for premature and critically ill newborns. “St. Mark’s Hospital is literally where it all began for me,” Kaylee said. “I love being able to work here and have a positive impact on NICU babies and their families.”

11-year-old reunites with Miami NICU nurse at March for Babies walk

Miami-based HCA Florida Kendall Hospital opened the doors of its NICU in 2010. Over the years, HCA Healthcare NICU nurses Gabriela Valdes and Cynthia Brito grew their relationship from colleagues to friends. Their bond truly strengthened when Gabriela’s son, Adrian, was born at 38 weeks and admitted to the NICU after struggling to breathe on his own.

While the hospital was a familiar place for Gabriela, she now found herself in the unfamiliar role of a NICU parent, relying on Cynthia and other colleagues to care for her newborn son.

Now 11 years old, Adrian is healthy and continues to grow. In May 2024, he joined his mother and at the Miami-Dade County March for Babies: A Mother of a Movement™ walk. The awareness and fundraising campaign aims to support every family throughout their pregnancy journey and raise critical funds to help March of Dimes provide research, programs, education and advocacy so moms and babies get the best possible start.

Did you know? HCA Healthcare facilities across the country participate in and sponsor March for Babies: A Mother of a Movement™ events each year. To get involved or find a walk near you, visit MarchforBabies.org.

Former NICU baby becomes a leader in the Houston hospital where she was born

In 1990, HCA Healthcare colleague Jordan Harden was born prematurely at a hospital in Houston at 34 weeks, weighing 4 pounds, 2 ounces. Due to her size, she was admitted to the hospital’s NICU, where she stayed for eight days. The NICU nursing team was instrumental in helping her gain the strength to go home. The nurses also provided invaluable guidance and lessons to Jordan’s mother as she learned to care for her tiny daughter.

Jordan heard stories of the positive impact that NICU nurses had on her family while growing up. Those stories inspired her to pursue a career in nursing herself.

Today, Jordan serves as a NICU manager at HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest – the same hospital where she was born.

Jordan’s nursing career began in the NICU at HCA Healthcare affiliate St. David’s North Austin Medical Center in Austin, Texas, where she was also able to earn her master’s degree in nursing with the help of HCA Healthcare’s student loan assistance and tuition assistance program. In 2020, she took a role as a clinical education specialist in HCA Healthcare’s Gulf Coast Division, where her primary location was at HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest, supporting new graduate nurses. “I fell in love with the culture, immediately felt at home and applied to the NICU manager role at the hospital in January 2024,” Jordan shared.

In July 2024, Jordan played a central role in welcoming colleagues and community members to celebrate the grand opening of HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest’s new state-of-the-art Level III NICU. The new facility, equipped with 24 beds, is designed to provide exceptional care for the smallest patients and support their families. 

Florida NICU director answers calling to care for mothers and babies 

For HCA Healthcare colleague Vanessa Phillips, Prematurity Awareness Month is deeply personal.  

“My passion for mothers and babies stems directly from being a lucky baby who was surrendered by a woman who knew she could not care for her own baby and blessed enough to be adopted by a mother and family that knew she could give me the best chance at life,” said Vanessa, director of the NICU at HCA Florida University Hospital. As a NICU baby herself, Vanessa was in the hospital with only the doctors and nurses who cared for her. She says that her career in the NICU allows her to support families so they can give babies the best life possible.

For nearly 25 years, Vanessa has been an active supporter of March of Dimes, even stepping up as a board member in her Florida market over the past two years.

She says the mission of March of Dimes and her life’s work is the same – to ensure every woman and baby receives safe, quality care and the resources they need. Volunteers like Vanessa are vital to March of Dimes’ success as they lead clinical education trainings, organize local events for awareness and fundraising and work as advocates on the local and national levels. “The resources they provide women, babies, families and units like mine are second to none,” Vanessa shared.

Celebrating NICU graduates

Whether a NICU admission requires a few days in the hospital or several hundred, our colleagues focus on providing clinical expertise, support and compassion to NICU families through every step in their journey. When NICU patients are discharged home from the hospital, NICU graduations signify an emotional milestone for both families and caregivers.

And, long after our patients graduate from the NICU, they are often invited back to reunite with their care team, allowing doctors, nurses and other colleagues the opportunity to witness their remarkable progress. Read a few of these touching graduation and reunion stories below.

Texas baby born at 22 weeks graduates from the NICU

For many premature babies and their families, the NICU journey can be long and challenging – yet extremely rewarding. For HCA Healthcare NICU patient Annistyn, her care at The Woman’s Hospital of Texas in Houston required an eight and a half month stay at the hospital. Born at 22.2 weeks, weighing just 14.6 ounces, Annistyn received specialized care at the hospital’s Level IV NICU.  

The Woman’s Hospital of Texas’ Level IV NICU is equipped to care for newborn infants with extreme prematurity, critical illness or who require surgical intervention. The NICU has the capabilities of performing advanced imaging, a full range of respiratory support including ECMO and life support. NICU babies are then often admitted to the advanced nursery where they can receive the highest level of perinatal care.

The around-the-clock care and intensive monitoring that Annistyn required led to the formation of lifelong bonds between her family and the NICU care team. Hospital staff celebrated every milestone with Annistyn’s parents, Kelsey and Heston, and her older brother Brayden – from small health improvements to holidays like her first Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day and Easter.

“With long-term patients like Annistyn, you really have the opportunity to get to know them and their families,” said Nancy, a NICU nurse of almost three decades and a member of Annistyn’s care team. “You care for them like your own child, and look forward to seeing them grow and hit their important milestones.”

Because The Woman’s Hospital of Texas partners with March of Dimes to provide the NICU Family Support program, Annistyn’s family had access to additional education and resources they wouldn’t have had otherwise. The program coordinators help families during the hospitalization of their newborn, help bring a sense of normalcy to their NICU stay and also provide resources for their transition home.

Annistyn – known as a determined and active baby by our NICU colleagues due to her constant smile and the kicking of her feet – had a special celebration with a graduation cap and gown planned by our colleagues in July 2024. “It is always a huge accomplishment when our NICU babies are discharged,” Nancy said. “It is a special feeling of pride and happiness.”

Virginia baby born at 24 weeks spends 100 days in the NICU

Baby Denver was born at 24 weeks, just shy of 14 ounces, at HCA Healthcare affiliate The Women’s Hospital at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. From the day she was born, her strength and resilience shined as she continued to grow and reach new milestones.

With Denver making her entrance to the world before 32 weeks gestation, she was admitted for specialized pediatric care to the hospital’s Level III NICU. Her mother Deondra was comforted by the expertise and compassion of the care team.

After 100 days in the NICU, Denver was finally ready to go home with her parents. Caregivers who have watched Denver grow stronger day by day gathered to celebrate this milestone, and she donned a tiny cap and gown for the occasion.

“In our NICU, we see and treat all of our patients and families as a part of our own family,” explained Sarah Scheer, NICU director of nursing at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital. “Our patient success stories are amongst the greatest joys that we experience in the NICU, and the love that we have for our patients when they have graduated from a micro-preemie on maximum support to going home as a near-term infant is something that cannot be measured. Hearing the families’ expression of joy and gratitude fills our cup – and is our ‘why.’”

Texas mother calls NICU staff “angels” for saving premature son’s life

When Mikayla Martinez was just 23 weeks pregnant, she experienced migraines, vomiting and difficulty eating. When she arrived at her local emergency room to get checked out, doctors shared that she likely developed severe preeclampsia, a life-threatening condition that put both her and her unborn baby at risk.

“They explained to my mom that my organs were shutting down. My mom broke down in tears,” Mikayla said. “It’s scary being told that you are dying.”

It was clear that Mikayla required a higher level of care and the decision was made to transfer her to HCA Healthcare affiliate St. David’s Medical Center. The Austin, Texas hospital has an antepartum and high-risk pregnancy unit for women whose pregnancies require specialized care as well as a Level IV NICU. St. David’s Medical Center is uniquely equipped to provide the highest level of care for the most complex and sickest newborns.  

Did you know? Preeclampsia happens when a woman who previously had normal blood pressure suddenly develops high blood pressure and protein in her urine or other problems after 20 weeks of pregnancy. According to the CDC, it is one of the leading causes of pregnancy-related death and occurs in about 2% to 8% of all pregnancies.

“Preeclampsia can be quite dangerous for both mom and the baby,” said Dr. Robert Crumb, hospitalist at St. David’s Medical Center. “If you are not in a hospital with a neonatal intensive care unit that is of the level that can handle the extremely premature babies, the outcomes are catastrophic.”

Mikayla’s son Noah was born prematurely at St. David’s Medical Center at 23 weeks, weighing 13 ounces. Unable to breathe on his own, Noah’s care team worked with skill and speed to intubate him. “I remember a nurse named Audrey saying, ‘Come on, Noah, you can do it.’ I just closed my eyes and started praying,” Mikayla recalled. “And then he let out a little cry and everyone cheered. I was speechless.”

“Noah was smaller than a coke can when he was born,” said Audrey Cockrum, a NICU nurse manager at St. David’s Medical Center. “He could fit barely in the palm of your hand. He was so tiny, and it was an absolute miracle. I’m excited to watch him grow up because he is going to do great things.”

NICU families celebrate Vegas hospital’s 50-year history of saving lives

In July 2024, HCA Healthcare colleagues at Sunrise Children’s Hospital in Las Vegas celebrated the hospital’s 50^th anniversary of providing quality, compassionate NICU care by inviting their former patients and their families back for a reunion.

As Nevada’s largest, most comprehensive pediatric clinic – inclusive of a 72-bed Level III NICU – Sunrise Children’s Hospital cares for more than 1,000 newborns each year. The hospital is also home to the state’s only specialized pediatric heart program and is the only one to provide neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment, equipping their team with the resources to care for patients with life-threatening heart and lung problems.

More than 80 families returned for the joyous occasion over the summer. “It is such a pleasure to see former families and their children come back for the reunion,” shared Dr. Patricia Ramsay, NICU Medical Director at Sunrise Children’s Hospital. “After many months of struggling against the odds, to see the children thriving is truly a gift from above.”

The nurses, physicians and care teams who work to give the tiniest, sickest babies a chance at a healthy life were delighted to hear about the milestones of their former patients since they were discharged from the hospital. The event was also a reminder of the lasting impact the care teams have on families and the hope NICU graduates bring to those who care for them.

“Every time I discharged these little ones, they took a piece of my heart with them,” shared Melita Gellangarin, a nurse at Sunrise Children’s Hospital. “So, when they visit us, that warms my heart and inspires me to take very good care of those little ones that come after them.” Fellow nurse Richelle Larson agreed, adding, “It’s like seeing a miracle happen right before our eyes.”