Abrazo Arrowhead Campus completes NICU expansion

Abrazo Arrowhead Campus held a ribbon cutting for its new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a $14 million expansion of the hospital’s services for preterm babies and high-risk pregnancies.

Abrazo Arrowhead Campus is a popular destination for maternity care in the Northwest Valley. Community growth reinforced the need for more higher-level neonatal care, according to hospital officials.

More than 3,500 babies, including high order multiple births like triplets, are born every year at Abrazo Arrowhead Campus. The 8,500 sq. ft. addition adds 14 new state-of-the-art neonatal care rooms and patient care areas, increasing the hospital’s NICU capacity from 19 to 33 beds.

“This expansion means that Abrazo Arrowhead Campus can serve more families and keep moms and babies together close to home,” said Dr. Amit Agrawal, Medical Director of Neonatology at Abrazo Arrowhead Campus.

“The new unit is adjacent to Abrazo Arrowhead’s existing NICU, and the expansion helps the hospital care for patients with complex maternal and neonatal medical conditions, obstetric and fetal complications,” explained Julie Bowman, RN, Chief Nursing Officer at Abrazo Arrowhead Campus.

“We offer care for high-risk pregnancies and premature babies and are designated by the Arizona Perinatal Trust as a Level IIIB perinatal care center, which means we can provide complex care for babies of any gestational age,” continued Bowman.

Dr. Ravi Gunatilake, Medical Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine, emphasized, “Abrazo Arrowhead provides outstanding care for high-risk mothers, and this significant investment will continue to advance our ability to deliver excellent quality care and outcomes for our patients.”

“It’s exciting to see the project come to completion. The hospital will also be adding more physician subspecialty coverage and capabilities as a result of the expansion,” added Abrazo Arrowhead Campus CEO Stephen Garner.

Hospital services were uninterrupted during the project, which took about a year to complete.

“Abrazo Arrowhead Campus is growing with our community. We are investing in our neonatal capabilities as well as strengthening the hospital’s other services for higher-acuity patients. This is shaping up to be a stellar year for Abrazo Arrowhead as we complete service and facility upgrades to provide specialty care closer to home for Northwest Valley residents,” said Garner.