DULUTH — St. Luke's will soon open its Level II Specialized Care Nursery at the hospital's Birthing Center. While St. Luke's does not have a neonatal intensive care unit, the specialized care nursery will care for infants born as early as 32 weeks of pregnancy.
The nursery has five patient rooms that allow parents to stay with their newborns, including one room that can accommodate twins. The Level II Specialized Care Nursery cost $670,000 through the St. Luke's Foundation and individual and business donations.
“This nursery will make a big difference for those who need it,” St. Luke’s Women’s & Children’s Services Director Lori Swanson said in a news release. “If there are any issues that need to be addressed during the first days of a child’s life, the nursery allows them to be met quickly and expertly.”
The nursery features individual temperature-controlled care stations for infants, updated monitors, a procedure room and a quiet environment suited for premature babies and babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome.
The nursery will begin caring for infants and their families when staff has been fully trained in the new space. St. Luke's celebrated the new nursery with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday.