Level III Obstetric Care and Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Provided at Northwest Health - Porter

9/12/2023

Northwest Health – Porter has been re-certified as a Level III Obstetrical Service and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) by the Indiana State Department of Health. These certifications recognize the hospital for providing quality care for complex maternal and fetal conditions with attention to high-risk obstetric and newborn care.

“The advanced level of neonatal care and maternal services we provide ensures both mothers and babies receive appropriate, quality care even in serious and complex situations,” said Stephanie Didion, MSN, R.N., director of the OB and neonatal services at Northwest Health - Porter. “We have a team of OB/GYN physicians and neonatologists who are on site around the clock. I am proud of the working relationship they have with both our medical staff and nursing staff. They are an amazing team, providing high-level, personalized care for every mother and baby.”

The Level III NICU recognizes that Northwest Health provides comprehensive neonatal care for infants of all gestational ages and weights, clinical experience as proven by large patient volume, supervision by board-certified neonatologists, and newborn services such as life support, respiratory support and advanced imaging.

The Level III Obstetrical Service designation is granted to hospitals that have OB-GYN and anesthesia services present on-site, staff trained to handle severe maternal complications, an on-site Intensive Care Unit, advanced imaging, and both surgical and anesthesia services.

Adding to these Level III services, Northwest Health – Porter launched a maternal-fetal transport service earlier this year where high-risk pregnant patients are transferred via ambulance to the hospital to provide quick, high-level medical management for the pregnant mother and her baby. This is the only maternal transport service in the region and complements its well-established neonatal transport service that transports sick or premature babies to its NICU from referring hospitals in the surrounding area.

“Our hospital has long made maternal and neonatal services a priority for the patients of Northwest Indiana and we’ve continually added capabilities such as our OB Emergency Room, maternal-fetal and neonatal transport services,” said Didion. “The state’s recertification confirms that our efforts to advance technology, expertise and quality outcomes on a daily basis are making a difference to the communities we serve.”

In 2019, the Indiana State Department of Health established a program to certify the perinatal levels of care available at birthing facilities across the state. These level-of-care designations for hospitals and other facilities providing birthing services is part of an initiative to combat Indiana’s high infant and maternal mortality rates. Under this program, hospitals are rated on the levels of obstetric and neonatal care they provide so patients can be better informed about the quality of care they can expect.

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