| Every expectant parent dreams of a happy, healthy baby. Most of the time, their dreams come true. Nationally, one in 10 newborns requires extra care. For these parents, the experience of a hospital's Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) staff and the level of technology will come into sharp focus. |
| Southeast Missouri Hospital was the first hospital in the region to establish neonatal intensive care services in the late 1970s. Southeast Missouri Hospital has two fellowship-trained, board-certified neonatologists to care for sick newborns: Richard J. Flaksman, M.D., and B. Daniel Beaver, M.D. They work closely with Southeast’s three board-certified Pediatric Hospitalists, Alisa Bridge, M.D., Suha Alkadry, M.D., and John P. Leland, D.O., in providing specialized inpatient care for newborns around the clock.
Scot Pringle, M.D., a Cape Girardeau obstetrician, has confidence in Southeast's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. "I have no hesitation to refer high risk mothers or babies to Southeast," he said. "We've been doing it for years, and Southeast is very good at it."
A clinical affiliation with the nationally-recognized pediatric center formalized a long-standing relationship between Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center and Southeast. Through the partnership, physicians and nurses at Southeast are assured access to leading edge approaches in the care of critically ill newborns and children. |
Southeast's two board-certified
Neonatologists Richard J. Flaksman, M.D., and
B. Daniel Beaver, M.D.,
work with
Southeast’s
three board-certified Pediatric Hospitalists,
Alisa Bridge, M.D., Suha Alkadry, M.D., and
John P. Leland, D.O., in providing specialized
inpatient care for newborns in Southeast’s
Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). |
| Southeast's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit can comfortably take care of babies born as early as 28 weeks of gestation.
These babies may have trouble with breathing, eating, infection, blood sugar or body temperature. But it's not just premature babies who require special care. Even seemingly healthy infants can develop infections, experience breathing problems or exhibit other symptoms that require around-the-clock monitoring.
Southeast staffs its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with at least two specially-trained nurses skilled in intubation and resuscitation on each shift. Babies may spend from a couple days to several weeks in the special care nursery.
Sue Morrow, RNC, BSN, has worked in Southeast's NICU for almost 20 years. "I have seen every kind of neonatal emergency, and we have been trained to respond to these," she said. "Southeast has the training and equipment to manage sick infants."
NICU staff can provide oxygen therapy, antibiotics, IVs and NG tube feedings. The staff is trained to take care of exchange transfusions, umbilical vessel catheters, chest tubes, infusions of fluids, blood or lipids; oxygen support such as ventilators, nasal cannulas, CPAP or oxygen hoods; feeding problems requiring special equipment; and monitoring infant heart and respiratory rates or blood pressure.
Morrow is also quick to praise the staff pediatricians and pediatric hospitalists who are skilled in the care of premature and sick babies around the clock. "I have worked with all our doctors and am very impressed with their knowledge and expertise in all areas of neonatology," she said.
Southeast Missouri Hospital operates highly-trained Neonatal Transport teams. Each team consists of a nurse and respiratory therapist, all of who received extensive training at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center to ensure that their tiny charges are cared for in accordance with Cardinal Glennon/St. Louis University standards. The teams travel to outlying hospitals in Southeast Missouri by helicopter or ambulance and bring the babies to Southeast for specialized care not available in their local hospital. They can also transport a baby from Southeast to St. Louis if the baby’s care requires more complex interventions.
Click here to learn more about our partnership with SSM Cardinal Glennon Medical Center
Babies who require specialized ventilator support, are extremely premature, have heart anomalies or require the services of a pediatric surgeon are transferred to St. Louis. Southeast has a long-standing relationship with Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center and St. Louis Children's Hospital, both of which provide specialized neonatal services not available in Southeast Missouri, including pediatric surgery and pediatric cardiology. Many babies who are transferred to St. Louis for complex care return to Southeast for convalescence so that their families can become more easily involved as their infants are prepared for discharge.
It's not uncommon for parents to bring back "graduates" of Southeast's NICU to visit with doctors and staff. A bulletin board just inside the nursery is filled with photographs that thankful parents share.
Southeast's newly redesigned and expanded Nursery and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit have been named in memory of Jesse R. Ramsey, D.O., who was instrumental in the development of the region's first Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Southeast Missouri Hospital.
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