Children's Minnesota NICU at Mercy Hospital expands services to help high-risk mothers deliver closer to home

COON RAPIDS, Minn., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mother Baby Center, a partnership between Allina Health and Children's Minnesota, announced today the expansion of its neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) services at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids, effectively increasing the NICU from Level II to Level III status. The expansion improves access to neonatal experts and allows the Center to care for even more prematurely born babies, as young as 28 weeks or older.

Learn more about The Mother Baby Center at Mercy Hospital.

"We're thrilled to be able to offer more services to families in the Twin Cities north metro and allow them to get the care they need closer to home," said Dr. Tom George, the system medical director of neonatology at Children's Minnesota. "Across all of our neonatal intensive care locations, whether in Minneapolis, St. Paul or Coon Rapids, patients can rest assured that, should they need it, they have the support of neonatal experts and the full range of Children's Minnesota pediatric sub-specialties, including neurology, ENT, cardiology, general surgery, neurosurgery, and more."

As part of this expansion, Children's Minnesota worked with clinicians at Mercy Hospital to create processes and procedures to care for high-risk mothers and babies, and provided extensive training to ensure that all staff members have the skills needed to care for complex cases.

 The Mother Baby Center at Mercy Hospital also offers:

• Experts in the care of high-risk pregnancies (maternal-fetal medicine specialists) with a newly expanded, state-of-the art space, providing ultrasounds and 24/7 inpatient consultations.
• Advanced imaging services provided by perinatal sonographers and pediatric radiologists.
• Neonatologists, nurses, nurse practitioners and respiratory therapists who specialize in premature babies and critically ill newborns available 24/7.
• Access to all pediatric subspecialists via transfer to Children's Minnesota's NICUs in Minneapolis or St. Paul, if necessary.
• Advanced breathing support.

In addition to the Level III NICU at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids, through Children's Minnesota, The Mother Baby Center offers high level neonatal expertise at its locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul. 

About Children's Minnesota

Children's Minnesota is the seventh largest pediatric health system in the United States and the only health system in Minnesota to provide care exclusively to babies and children, from before birth through young adulthood. An independent and not-for-profit system since 1924, Children's Minnesota serves kids throughout the Upper Midwest at two free-standing hospitals, 12 primary and specialty care clinics and six rehabilitation sites. Children's Minnesota is regularly ranked by U.S. News & World Report as a top children's hospital.

Find us on Facebook @childrensminnesota or on Twitter and Instagram @childrensmn. Please visit childrensMN.org.

About Allina Health

Allina Health is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of illness and enhancing the greater health of individuals, families and communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. A not-for-profit health care system, Allina Health cares for patients from beginning to end-of-life through its 90+ clinics, 11 hospitals, 15 retail pharmacies, specialty care centers and specialty medical services that provide home care, senior transitions, hospice care, home oxygen and medical equipment, and emergency medical transportation services. Learn more at allinahealth.org and join us on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Children's Minnesota

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