A NEW "LEARNING" MODEL FOR NEONATEs COMBINING FAMILY-CENTRIC CARE AND CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY, NON-INVASIVE MONITORING, AND TESTING

Children's Hospital Boston's current NICU was built in the 1980's and has limitations--physically, technologically and philosophically. The physical space, a series of four-bed open bays, presents programs for privancy and infection control. The monitoring equipment is generally invasive and limted to heart and lung and there is regular transfer of critically ill off the unit for procedures and imaging studies.

The NICU of the Future project goals will design a NICU that incorporates the following:

• Family-centered care
• Developmentally-appropriate care for vulnerable newborns
• Smart workplaces
  • Operationally efficient
  • User-friendly for medical/hospital staff
  • Ability to adapt to evolving health care practices
• Minimally-invasive, state-of-the-art technology
• A data-based "living laboratory' for translational research
• Telemedicine enabled for local, national and international consultation and education