Nurses and hospital staff signed a steel construction beam with messages of positivity marking a milestone for expansion of the neonatal unit at Abrazo Arrowhead Campus.
Framework is now visible for the 8,500-square-foot addition to the hospital’s specialty unit for preterm infant care.
Abrazo Arrowhead’s existing Level IIIA perinatal care center continues to be open for patient care during construction. The multimillion-dollar project is expected to be completed later this year.
The addition will increase the unit’s size from 21 to 35 beds and support enhanced capabilities to pursue certification as a higher Level IIIB Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for more complex maternal and neonatal medical conditions, obstetric and fetal complications.
Abrazo Arrowhead Campus is one of the Valley’s leading destinations for maternity care. More than 3000 babies, including high-order multiple births like triplets, are born every year at Abrazo Arrowhead.
Successful pursuit of the Level IIIB NICU certification means the hospital will be capable of providing complex care for babies of any gestational age, Abrazo Arrowhead Campus Chief Nursing Officer Julie Bowman said.
Dr. Amit Agrawal, the hospital’s medical director of Neonatology, said he is excited about the prospect of enhancing the clinical capabilities and expanding access to high level care for families of the Northwest Valley.
“With this strategic expansion, Abrazo Arrowhead Campus will be able to serve more families and keep moms and babies together in their community,” Agrawal said.
Abrazo Arrowhead Campus is currently certified to care for premature infants as young as 28 weeks’ gestation.
“Abrazo Arrowhead provides outstanding care for high-risk mothers, and this expansion will continue to advance the hospital’s ability to deliver excellent quality care,” said Dr. Ravi Gunatilake, the hospital’s medical director of maternal fetal medicine.
Abrazo Arrowhead Campus CEO Stephen Garner added the hospital continues to enhance women’s and infants care, as well as its other clinical services.
“This is an exciting time for everyone at Abrazo Arrowhead Campus,” he said. “We are investing in our neonatal capabilities, growing our cardiovascular and surgical programs, and on a trajectory for increasing access to high-quality, specialty care closer to home for all of our Northwest Valley community.”
For more information about Abrazo Arrowhead Campus, visit abrazohealth.com.