Downtown Chicago NICU

Renée Schine Crown Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

The Renée Schine Crown Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a secured level III care unit that provides state-of-the-art care for premature and seriously ill newborns. Our services and equipment are designed for the smallest patients.

The NICU is staffed 24 hours a day by specially trained nurses and neonatologists, and patients have access to the full range of pediatric sub-specialists. Our multidisciplinary team* includes:

• Neonatologists
• Neonatology fellows
• Pediatric residents
• Neonatal nurses
• Developmental nurse specialists
• Physical therapists
• Speech therapists
• Respiratory therapists
• Social workers
• Chaplain
• Breastfeeding counselors
• Neonatal nutritionists

We provide care for an estimated 1600 premature or seriously ill newborns each year, including infants born at Prentice Women's Hospital, as well as those who are transferred through the Perinatal Network from other hospitals.

We believe a multidisciplinary team approach and specialized equipment are only part of caring for these babies—we focus on family-centered, developmentally supportive care. Parents and families are crucial to an infant's recovery and development, so we encourage and facilitate the strong presence and involvement of parents and family in the care we provide.

NICU Family Support Program

The Renée Schine Crown Neonatal Intensive Care Unit was the first NICU in the state of Illinois to provide the March of Dimes NICU Family Support Program to families. Launched as a part time program in 2009 and becoming full time in 2012, the program is built on a philosophy of family-centered care and supports families throughout the hospitalization, during the transition to home and in the event of a newborn death.

The program is guided by a volunteer committee, consisting of graduate NICU families and NICU staff, and a full-time NICU family support specialist, who works with parents and families and coordinates:

• Parent groups
• Educational presentations and discussions
• Family events
• A NICU reunion
• Professional education

NICU families receive parent care kits which contain the books:

• "NICU: A Guide and Glossary"
• "Parent: You & Your Baby in the NICU"
• "Baby: A Keepsake Journal"

We also provide helpful information for our short-stay families. The program offers a stocked book cart of children’s books for parents to read to their infants at the bedside to promote early bonding.

NICU Family Support^® Bright Space^® for NICU Siblings

The March of Dimes and Bright Horizons have formed a partnership to create Bright Space areas in NICU waiting rooms across the country. The space is designed to brighten the lives of siblings and families in crisis and promote self-healing through play. In December 2013, the Renée Schine Crown NICU was one of three hospitals nationwide to be chosen to receive a Bright Space.

This area is available to more than 1,600 families a year who have a child in the NICU at Prentice Women’s Hospital.

Contact

For more information about the program, please contact the NICU Family Support Specialist at 312.472.4347.