Joe Winick, Erlanger senior vice president of Planning, Analytics, and Business Development, spoke to the Tennessee Health Services and Development Agency in Nashville on Wednesday and received unanimous approval to expanded neonatal intensive care services.
Erlanger Health System received unanimous approval on Wednesday from the Tennessee Health Services and Development Agency for a Certificate of Need (CON) application to expand neonatal intensive care services at both Children’s Hospital at Erlanger, at the main downtown campus, and at Erlanger East Hospital on Gunbarrel Road.
The CON approval allows for the establishment of a 10-bed Level III NICU at Erlanger East Hospital. The Level III neonatal center at Erlanger EastHospital will be the first in the region designed with all private rooms, allowing the mother stay in the room with the newborn.
In addition, Children’s Hospital at Erlanger, one of five state-designated Regional Perinatal Centers, will be classified as a Level IV Neonatal Center, the highest designation of neonatal care in the state.
“Since our NICUs frequently operate at full capacity, obtaining CON approval for this request is a key step to improve access to neonatal care in this region and meet the needs of this community. This means we are establishing a system of neonatal care comprised of Level IV, Level III and level II NICU services appropriately distributed between downtown andEast Hamilton County for easy accessibility in our service area,” said Joseph M. Winick, FACHE, Erlanger Senior Vice President of Planning, Analytics, and Business Development. Winick estimates the cost of the initiative at $7 million.
“This is an incredible opportunity to lay the foundation for a new Children’s Hospital and establish an expanded ‘system of care’ for our neonatal patients,” said Donald J. Mueller, CEO of Children’s Hospital at Erlanger and vice president of the Erlanger Health System.