Reston Hospital Center expands Level III NICU

Reston, Va. — Reston Hospital Center expanded its Level III neonatal intensive care unit and celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, December 6.

The expansion includes seven private rooms and three semi-private rooms, creating a more comfortable environment for families spending time with their newborns. The NICU grew from 16 to 29 beds, which better serves the needs of the community. In addition to more beds, the unit incorporates new equipment and furniture, as well as a family waiting area and nurses’ station. A live-streaming, encrypted video system is installed that will allow families to see their child, receive communication updates, and view educational materials on any device with an internet connection.

“This NICU expansion is a meaningful step in Reston Hospital’s overall growth plan and in our continued commitment to meet the evolving healthcare needs of the Northern Virginia region,” said John Deardorff, Reston Hospital Center’s chief executive officer.

Each baby in the NICU receives an individualized care and support plan to meet his/her specific needs. The unit is staffed by a team of Children’s National Hospital neonatologists, as well as a multidisciplinary team of NICU nurses, respiratory therapists, physical and occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, specialized pharmacists and nutritionists. Additional team members include a lactation consultant, social worker, perinatal nurse navigator, case manager, and patient advocate.

“We are very excited about the NICU expansion and the opportunity to bring the highly-specialized, nationally-ranked neonatal expertise from Children’s National to care for even more babies in partnership with the Reston Hospital NICU team,” said Dr. Mariam Said, Medical Director, Neonatal Services, Children’s National at Reston Hospital.

The neonatologists work collaboratively with the Reston Hospital NICU team to ensure that baby, mother, and other caregivers are all appropriately incorporated into the care plan.

“Our team takes a family-centered care approach to really get to know the families and their challenges, preferences, and wishes,“ said Nancy Duryee, the hospital’s director of women’s and children’s services. “Our NICU team works closely with the moms and caregivers to provide the best care, bonding opportunities, and support that they need through their newborn’s journey.”

The new space also gives the NICU team the opportunity to re-imagine the space and create a “Wall of Hope”.

Dawn Brittingham, the NICU manager, said: “We have met so many amazing families through their time in the NICU and have so many inspirational stories to share. I am happy that our ‘Wall of Hope’ idea which highlights several babies and families on a rotating basis is coming to fruition in the unit. The NICU can be a very stressful, scary time for parents and we want them to see other families who have been here and have made it to the other side. Even though it is the NICU, they can feel hopeful.”