Redeveloped NICU will connect newborns and their families to critical care close to home
TORONTO — The Ontario government is connecting critically ill newborns and their families in the Toronto area to better, more convenient neonatal intensive care by supporting Unity Health Toronto with the planning, design and implementation of their relocated Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St. Michael’s Hospital.
“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is making record investments in Ontario’s hospitals to connect more people to care closer to home,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “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.”
Through this investment, over 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. Additional benefits of the project will include:
- Enhanced 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.
- Expansion of the NICU to accommodate state-of-the art design standards and provide more space for specialized care.
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. Through Your Health: A Plan For Connected and Convenient Care, Ontario is making it easier and faster for people of all ages to connect to the care they need, where and when they need it.