OCTOBER 21, 2024 – St. Joseph’s Health is proud to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a specialized unit that treats the smallest and most vulnerable patients. More than 200 gathered for a reunion that brought together former patients with the doctors and nurses who treated them.
“We’re thrilled to welcome back kids and teens who spent their first weeks or months with our compassionate and expert team,” said Michael Lamacchia, MD, Chairman of Pediatrics for St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. “Babies in the NICU require very specialized care in order for them to eat, sleep, and grow. Our team ensures that every fragile newborn is given the most advanced care possible in a warm and loving setting to help them thrive.”
St. Joseph’s NICU, part of St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, is designated by the State of New Jersey as a Regional Perinatal Center, the highest designation in the state for the care of infants. With 30 beds in the NICU and another 20 in the intermediate nursery, St. Joseph’s treats more than 1,000 premature and critically ill infants each year – those born at St. Joseph’s and those who transfer here when they require a higher level of care. When it opened in 1974, the unit was one of just three state-designated NICUs in all of New Jersey.
Adyee Escorcia has been a nurse providing life-saving care to babies in the St. Joseph’s Health NICU for 31 years, yet she knows firsthand the angst of parents who have a newborn in the unit. Two decades ago, she was also a mom on the other side of the bassinet.
Escorcia gave birth to Santiago and Isabella only 26 weeks into her pregnancy. With her twins weighing in under 2 lbs. each, both babies had gastrointestinal problems and her son’s respiratory function was severely compromised. They remained in the NICU for four months. Today, the now- 21-year-olds are pursuing careers in nursing.
“Every night I work, I can tell the parents about the great care their children are receiving, but I feel their pain,” Escorcia said. “St. Joe’s was the first home for our twins, and I hope the parents know that all these years later, we are still giving exceptional care to their babies.”
St. Joseph’s NICU provides board-certified neonatologists and neonatal nurses with extensive training to meet the needs of these tiny newborns. They work with a comprehensive team of supporting specialists, including respiratory, occupational and physical therapists, dietitians, feeding specialists and pediatric-focused pharmacists. Members of the care team meet throughout each day to discuss every baby’s progress and their treatment plan. Together, they have the expertise to provide the necessary care needed for infants with low birth weight, respiratory distress, gastrointestinal disorders, congenital abnormalities, and other conditions that may require surgery.
“We consistently employ the latest tools and technologies to improve the outcomes of every child in our care,” said Subhashree Datta-Bhutada, MD, Chief of Neonatology at St. Joseph’s Health and Medical Director of the St. Joseph’s Health NICU. “Adyee’s twins are two shining examples of the thousands of babies who left our NICU and went on to live healthy, productive lives. We are proud to celebrate 50 years and, more importantly, to honor all of the families whose lives have been touched due to the care their babies received.”
