Watch our caregivers, families and NICU graduates enjoy our first reunion!

Oak Hill Hospital's Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) provides critical care to newborns who are ill or premature. Many factors may lead to a newborn being admitted to the NICU, including low birth weight or complications during delivery. The NICU staff at Oak Hill Hospital deeply connect with parents and the babies in the NICU. 

That connection was visible and palpable in mid-April when families of babies who graduated from Oak Hill Hospital's NICU gathered for the first reunion with NICU caregivers and physicians.

For the caregivers, the event offered an opportunity to reconnect with the babies they cared for over the past five years, along with the parents they taught to care for a NICU baby at home.

For parents, the reunion offered an opportunity to thank the staff for caring for their precious addition to the family.

"The staff was just so incredible," said Angelina Merricks, mom of a 69-day NICU graduate. "We are so grateful that the NICU team always helped us feel like our son was their top priority. We are grateful every single day."

Neonatologist Dr. Alfredo Cartaya said, "It's very rewarding to see the babies grown. Having a Level 3 NICU in this community is a lifesaver for the parents who do not have to travel an hour or more every day for months while their baby is in the NICU."

NICU manager Joslyn Kiley agrees. "Seeing the NICU graduates all 'grown up' is just as exciting as when we met them when they were born. Families in the NICU become part of our family, and we love them!"

For more information about the Level 3 NICU services at Oak Hill Hospital, visit the NICU services website.