Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Scott & White Ranks in Top 3 Percent

For 25 years, Scott & White has been providing specialized care for sick newborns—both full-term and premature—in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Out of 350 NICUs worldwide, The Children’s Hospital at Scott & White ranks in the top 3 percent in terms of the survival rate of these fragile newborns. We’re also the only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit between Dallas and Austin. Our team is comprised of specially trained staff that begin to care for the infants sometimes before they are even born.

While some full-term babies are sent to the NICU, the majority of those seen by the neonatologists are premature, and their risks vary depending on weight and condition at birth.

Multidisciplinary Care Key to Success

According to physicians, one of the keys to the higher survival rates at the Children’s Hospital at Scott & White is involvement from the other pediatric subspecialties here such as pulmonologists, ophthalmologists, neurologists, surgeons and radiologists.

On average, the NICU handles about 35 to 40 babies at any given time. The infants in the NICU receive 24-hour medical care, and the average stay for extremely premature infants is about three months. The physicians and nurses also give special attention to the parents of sick infants, educating parents on how to care for their new babies, and what to expect as their child grows and develops.

Physician Referrals

Phone the Physician Referral Network at 800-792-3368 or 254-724-2218. Physician Referral will connect you with the referring physician, who will provide management support over the phone and arrange appropriate transport. In the event that critical transport is required, Scott & White's critical care air and ground transport teams are staffed by an Air and Surface Transport R.N. and a Critical Care Paramedic.

You may make referrals online through the online Physician Referral Request form.

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