New Units to Care for Infants and Children
Written by Laura L. Watts
The Hunt Tower has seen some exciting additions recently with the relocation
of the Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) units. The renovated
NICU opened for care in August, and the Pediatrics unit—named the
Pat and Ellen Theodora Pediatric and Young Adult Pavilion—opened
at the end of October.
The Pediatrics unit includes 21 private rooms, a child care unit for mildly
ill children of employees or community members, a fully stocked playroom
and two mobile Fun Centers fitted with a Nintendo Wii U game console and
platforms such as Netflix and Hulu (courtesy of Lakeshore Learning). The
unit also features an eating disorders program for children and young adults.
The NICU features 25 private rooms as well as larger treatment rooms and
a family sleep room. The private rooms feature state-of-the-art technology,
including a NICVIEW® web camera that allows parents, family and friends
to view their infant in real time, 24/7, through a secure online portal.
“The private room setting of the NICU gives every baby and family
their own quiet space, which contributes to their recovery much more than
the open pod setting,” says Jerry Schwartz, MD, medical director
of neonatology at Torrance Memorial Medical Center. “Our administration
has committed to having more nurses work on any given day, so every baby
has his or her own private nurse. We’ve made a commitment to what
is best for our babies and families; it’s a very warm, family-centered
setting.”