LLUMC to Celebrate 40 Years of Success

On October 19, 1973, Loma Linda University Medical Center opened the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in an effort to provide highly skilled, multidisciplinary neonatal services that were much needed in the area. This month, the NICU celebrated 40 years of service! “Our neonatal intensive care unit is dedicated to providing state-of-the-art, Christ-centered healthcare every day,” said LLUCH administrator Zareh Sarrafian. “It is because of our talented and dedicated staff that we are able to celebrate this remarkable milestone. This is an extraordinary achievement that we are all very honored to recognize.” “Being able to watch the NICU grow has been truly exciting,” said Douglas Deming, MD, professor and chief of neonatology and the director of the NICU at LLUCH, who first began his association with the NICU at Loma Linda University Medical Center as an intern in 1976. “In its early years, the NICU spread out over two small rooms and was only spacious enough for 10 babies—we were always at capacity.” By 1990 the NICU had expanded to include 45 beds after moving into a six-room unit in the new wing of the hospital—a unit that would later become part of LLU Children’s Hospital in 1993. Now, the NICU has 84 beds and serves approximately 1,200 patients annually. “That number is progressively increasing every year,” said Dr. Deming. “We are surrounded by other intensive care units in the Inland Empire that refer incredibly complex kids to our unit. The need for neonatology continues to grow in the region.” Recently, the NICU was home to Abigail Rose, or Baby Abby, who was born on February 25, 2013, with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia and was put on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, which is a form of cardiac and respiratory support that became available at the hospital in 1995. “ECMO is typically a worst-case-scenario option,” said Abigail’s mom, Maria Orozco. “We were told ECMO is risky, but it was our last resort.” Dr. Deming confirmed, “ECMO is one of the many specialized services the hospital offers that babies can’t get anywhere else in the Inland Empire.” Baby Abby’s neonatology team worked around the clock to ensure her improvement and ultimately, her survival. “They offered encouragement and support,” she said. “We really grew to appreciate them.” After nearly three months in the NICU at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, Abigail was finally able to go home on May 18. Now 8 months old, Abby is doing well. “Things are so much better now,” Orozco said. “Abby gets lots of playtime interaction with my husband and me. She loves stroller rides and playing with her toys. Best of all, I get to hold her all the time.” The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital is one of the largest and most advanced neonatal centers in the world, with 22,000 square feet dedicated to caring for some of the tiniest babies ever born. This includes a special area for infants who have undergone transplants and premature babies who need the aid of special machines to help them develop. “By the end of the year, a neonatal neurology intensive care unit will open at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital,” Dr. Deming proudly announced. “It will be the first of its kind in Southern California and only the third in the state.” As one of the only level 3 tertiary centers in Southern California, it is equipped to provide the highest level of care for the most complex disorders. The NICU has subspecialists in all medical and surgical areas that are available at all times, supported by hospital staff with technical, laboratory, and service expertise.