Welcome to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). To help you to be more comfortable in our NICU, we have compiled this book to help answer many of your questions. Please talk with our staff about any questions or concerns you may have.

Saint Joseph’s Children’s Hospital is one of only three Children’s Hospitals in the State of Wisconsin. The NICU at Saint Joseph’s Children’s Hospital is designated as a Level IIIB unit. By definition from the American Academy of Pediatrics, Level IIIB NICU’s care for those with extreme prematurity (28 week gestation or less) or extremely low birth weight (1000 grams or less). Level IIIB NICU’s also care for those infants who have severe and/or complex illnesses and are of the highest risk with the most specialized needs.

Right in your back yard, at Saint Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, these infants receive advanced Level III care. Our NICU offers the full spectrum of pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists, highly-skilled nursing and respiratory care staff, advanced respiratory support and physiologic monitoring equipment, laboratory and imaging facilities, nutrition and pharmacy support with pediatric expertise, social services, and pastoral care.

The NICU has access to 24-hour comprehensive services provided by the Hospital, Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield Laboratories, and the Marshfield Medical Research Foundation. The availability of these specialized services help the NICU staff give very timely, individualized care based on the needs of the baby and family.

Many infants are born at Saint Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. Other babies are brought here by Spirit Medical Transportation Services based right here at Saint Joseph’s Hospital. A specially trained transport team consisting of an NICU Transport Nurse, a Respiratory Therapist and emergency medical personnel tends to the sick infants.

The physicians and nurses in our NICU keep in close contact with hometown physicians, both during and after the baby’s stay. Phone consultation with physicians is available, and the staff makes daily phone contact with the parents for progress updates. NICU’s phone number is (715) 387-7083.