East Alabama Health, an institution known for community and patient-centered care, began seeing patients in its innovative and newly-renovated Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in September of 2021. According to the hospital’s neonatologist, numbers of losses of premature babies has declined due, in part, to developments in technology and design innovation.

 

EAMC’s new NICU contains 11 private rooms, including two parent/infant rooms, a pharmacy, and lactation support. There are two nurse stations, spaces for equipment storage, and a staff lounge with lockers.

 

The new NICU also contains multi-therapy spaces, two rooms for parents needing overnight accommodations, a Childlife Program, including siblings’ classes, and abundant waiting.

 

With thoughtful innovation, designers studied Circadian Rhythms and used lighting controls to mimic the 24-hour day/night cycle. Lighting controls to both dim and change colors in the environment encourage and enhance healthy sleep patterns and assist with babies’ eye cone development.