Level III NICU in Corpus Christi, TX

At Corpus Christi Medical Center Bay Area, we see healthy babies born every day. But when babies arrive early or experience health problems at birth, they may need extra attention from experts trained in neonatal care to ensure that their lungs, hearts and other organs continue developing properly.

Our Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), located in the Women's Center at Bay Area, is staffed 24/7 with a team of neonatal specialists who provide the gentle, individualized care your baby needs until he or she is ready to go home.

For more information about our NICU services, call (361) 761-2020.

What is a Level III NICU?

Being designated as a Level III NICU means we have a specially designed nursery where we provide around-the-clock critical care for babies born before 32 weeks gestation, babies who weigh less than three pounds and 5 ounces, have medical conditions or need surgery. We are also able to offer prompt, direct access to a variety of pediatric specialists, provide a full range of respiratory support and perform advanced imaging.

Our NICU is conveniently located near mothers' rooms in our labor and delivery unit, so new parents can rest assured knowing their babies are just down the hall. We even offer video call technology when you need to take a little break.

Specialized neonatal care and services

At Bay Area, our NICU team includes neonatologists (physicians specially trained to treat sick infants), neonatal nurses and respiratory therapists who provide 24/7 in-house care. In addition, we offer help in many pediatric specialties and treatments, including:

  • Cardiology
  • High-frequency oscillatory ventilation treatment
  • Inhaled nitric oxide treatment
  • Neonatal surgery
  • Nephrology
  • Neurology
  • Ophthalmology
  • Peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line service (catheter inserted through the skin into an artery)
  • Physical therapy

Commitment to high-quality care for your baby

All NICU and newborn nursery staff are certified providers of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program® (NRP), a program developed by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

The NRP program teaches an evidence-based approach to newborn care and facilitates effective team-based care for healthcare professionals caring for newborns at delivery time. Staff benefit from a blended-learning approach, which combines online testing and simulations, with hands-on case simulations/debriefings focused on critical leadership, communications and teamwork skills.

Also, all NICU and newborn nursery staff have STABLE certification, a national neonatal educational program focused exclusively on the post-resuscitation/pre-transport stabilization care of sick infants. Staff members complete care modules in blood sugar monitoring, temperature, airway, blood pressure, lab work and emotional support.

Neonatal transport team

The Woman's Center at Bay Area also provides care for babies born prematurely in hospitals that may not have a NICU. Our neonatal transport team is committed to providing an expedient and skilled response to referring physicians and hospitals in South Texas.

The critical care transport team at Bay Area is composed of highly skilled registered neonatal nurses trained in transport medicine, high-altitude physiology and neonatal advanced life support. This advanced training allows our team to transport the most critical and tiniest of babies by air or ground, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Parent-focused programs

We offer several family-centered programs aimed at helping parents and infants thrive during their time with us in our NICU and beyond, including:

  • Breastfeeding/lactation support—education on breastfeeding and information about management and storage of breast milk during the NICU stay
  • Early Childhood Intervention Referral Program—provides parents with interventions that assist babies in reaching developmental milestones
  • Kangaroo Club—promotes bonding through skin-to-skin connection for both mother and father
  • ScrapTherapy Program—developed to provide parent “downtime” and create priceless memories of your baby’s stay in the NICU (supplies are provided)
  • The Cuddle Club—trained hospital volunteers will hold, rock and comfort your baby when you can't be by his or her side

In addition, when needed, we offer bereavement help with compassionate emotional and spiritual support throughout the grieving process.