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Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Southwest Las Vegas

The NICU at Southern Hills Hospital & Medical Center is where our neonatologists and neonatal nurses provide expert care for premature newborns or infants who require a higher level of care than is available in a traditional newborn nursery. Our NICU staff is committed to providing top-quality care for newborns and working closely with parents to keep them involved and informed in their child's care.

Bringing a child into the world is a joyous event, but sometimes unforeseen situations occur. Because we have an on-site Level III NICU, all babies born in our hospital have access to neonatal intensive care if needed. During a stay in the NICU, newborns are monitored 24/7 by neonatologists trained in caring for sick and premature infants.

Understanding NICU levels

According to the March of Dimes, 1 in 10 babies will require neonatal intensive care. Babies may need the specialized care of a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for many reasons. All neonatal intensive care units care for babies who need special help, but different NICUs offer different levels of care.

Level 1: Basic Care: Level I NICUs provide care for healthy, full-term babies. They also stabilize near-term babies to prepare them for moving to specialized facilities.

Level 2: Advanced Care: Level II NICUs offer care for babies born at or after 32 weeks and babies who are recovering from more serious health problems.

Level 3: Specialized Care: Level III NICUs care for very sick babies and offer access to a wide range of pediatric specialists and equipment. The babies in these nurseries are generally born earlier than 32 weeks or have critical illnesses.

Conditions treated in our NICU

We know our patients and families in the NICU need both expert care and an environment to create those tender moments with newborns. Our brand new, state-of-the-art 15-bed NICU was designed with families in mind, and we are able to treat a wide range of newborn needs, including:

Complications during delivery
Illness
Low birth weight
Respiratory problems

If your child was born at a different hospital but requires neonatal intensive care, we have a neonatal transport team available to safely transfer them to our facility.

NICU features and services

Sometimes when a child is born, they require specialized care in the NICU. At our hospital, neonates receive around-the-clock care from our knowledgeable team. Babies in our NICU and their families receive comprehensive care, which includes:

24-hour coverage by board-certified neonatologists
24-hour coverage by a respiratory therapist trained in neonatal care
24-hour coverage by an on-site Anesthesiologist
24-hour coverage by an on-site laborist
Dedicated case managers for NICU families
Highly-secured unit for safety
State-of-the-art Incubators and warming beds
Secure web access to view your baby in the NICU from a remote location
NICU postpartum support classes
Lactation support classes available

Our neonatal care team

The multidisciplinary team in our NICU is led by board-certified neonatologists who are on-site 24/7. Newborns may also receive care from other specialty-trained doctors, registered nurses, respiratory therapists and additional healthcare professionals offering support services.

Our team recognizes a parent's need to be involved in their newborn's care. Parents are given 24-hour access to the NICU, so they can feel connected with their child during the early days of life and participate in their care plan.

NICU patients and families may benefit from:
Consultations and treatment from occupational therapists
Dietician specializing in neonatal nutrition
Infant CPR education
Long-term nutritional support
Prenatal education services provided by our women's services department
Visits from our lactation consultant

You are part of your child’s care team

The NICU follows Southern Hills Hospital's mission of Care like Family. This means we keep families informed and involved in decisions about your baby’s care to the greatest extent possible. We encourage you to share your thoughts, concerns and ideas with the team as openly and as often as possible. We hope you will:

Ask questions about your baby’s condition or medical care.
Ask to see test results and scans, if you are interested or have concerns.
Tell us if you don’t understand (or agree with) any aspect of the care plan.
Make suggestions about how we can help your baby be more comfortable.
Ask to meet with any provider who is involved with your child’s care if you have questions or need more information.

We can all help your child reach their full potential by working together.

You are always welcome in our NICU
Parents are welcome in the NICU at all times and encouraged to be with their babies as much as they are able. Whenever possible, we will help you engage in the simple routines of being a parent — feeding your baby, changing diapers and having skin-to-skin contact. Even for the most fragile babies, nothing replaces the touch and presence of a parent.

What to expect with our Level III NICU

When you need it most, you can trust us to deliver a safe and nurturing environment to welcome your baby. If your pregnancy is considered high-risk or you have complications, you can rest easier knowing the expert team at Southern Hills Hospital & Medical Center is here to support you with advanced maternity care. We have expanded our NICU to 7,062 square feet, designed to accommodate the new generation of family needs.

Features include: