Establishing level II neonatal services in southwestern Oklahoma

Historically, Neonatal Services in Oklahoma have relied upon Level III and IV NICUs within the largest metropolitan areas to provide services for premature and other sick newborns. Smaller, regional Level II nurseries have delivered care according to previous American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Guidelines for Levels of Care. With changing guidelines in perinatal and neonatal care, there has been the need to add to available neonatal resources to continue to allow infants to remain in their home. This article is a description of a partnership between Comanche County Memorial Hospital (CCMH) and the Department of Pediatrics, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Section at OU Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) to establish a regional Level II NICU and the planning and implementation required to meet local, state, and national standards. The process, which involved neonatologists, nurse practitioners, nurses, laboratory services, pharmacy services, radiology, and respiratory therapy, resulted in a fully-functioning 8-bed Level II NICU.