The Ontario government has announced it will invest in a new neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at St. Michael’s Hospital.

The expanded facility will double the size of the current unit and better support patient care. The funding, which was announced by Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones on February 22, will be support Unity Health Toronto with the planning, design and implementation of the facility.

“By investing in improvements to St. Michael’s NICU, newborn patients and their families can receive the highest standard of care during their most critical time and continue to access the care they need, where they need it, for years to come,” Jones said.

Through the project, more than 12,000 square feet of space will be renovated and the entire NICU unit of bassinets will be relocated to a larger space at the new patient care tower at St. Michael’s Hospital. The facility will offer greater infection prevention and control measures to ensure the health and safety of critically ill newborns, more private rooms to address privacy concerns and create lower stimulus environments for newborn patients, and an expansion of the NICU to accommodate state-of-the art design standards and provide more space for specialized care.

"This investment from the Ontario government for a new, expanded neonatal intensive care unit at St. Michael’s Hospital will allow us to improve the care and health outcomes for babies requiring the highest level of care, and the care experiences of their families,” said Unity Health Toronto President and CEO Dr. Tim Rutledge. “This project will also support provincial critical care capacity through clinical education and training of the next generation of NICU specialists in Ontario."

As a next step, the ministry is working with Unity Health Toronto to complete early planning and design for this project. A construction schedule will be confirmed once future planning is complete and a project contract is tendered and awarded.

St. Michael’s NICU works with other partners to provide collaborative specialty care for critically ill and at-risk newborns in Toronto and the GTA. The program also accepts transfers of newborns from other areas of the province.

Approximately 8% of babies in Canada are born prematurely every year. The St. Michael’s NICU is a Level 2 academic unit with about 500 neonatal admissions per year and provides care to a high-risk inner-city population.

The NICU provides specialized care to ill newborn infants, and ventilatory and nutritional support for term and preterm newborns. It is staffed by a multidisciplinary team, which includes neonatologists, pediatricians, nurse practitioners, a registered dietitian, social worker, lactation consultants, an occupational therapist, pharmacist, neonatal nursing staff and respiratory therapists.