The Ontario Ministry of Health announced Wednesday it will invest in a new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton that will feature more private rooms, state-of-the-art design standards and an enhanced ability to support the latest infection prevention measures.   

“We are incredibly grateful to the Ontario government for this vital investment in our NICU,” said Mike Heenan, President of St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. “This funding will strengthen our mission of providing compassionate, high-quality care to the most vulnerable members of our community. It also reflects a shared commitment to advancing healthcare, giving our NICU healthcare workers and physicians the infrastructure to continue leading with excellence, every day.”  

The current NICU, or Special Care Nursery, will be renovated to create a larger and more comfortable space to ensure better access to specialized neonatal intensive care and family-centered birthing supports. The redeveloped space will feature:   

• More private rooms to address privacy concerns and create lower stimulus environments for newborn patients  
• Capability to accommodate state-of-the art design standards which provide more space for specialized care  
• Enhanced infection prevention and control measures to ensure the health and safety of critically ill newborn patients  
• A designated room to store pumped or donated milk   
• Supports tailored to the early developmental needs of newborn patients  

The NICU team at St. Joe’s cares for more than 600 newborn patients every year. They provide round-the-clock care for newborns arriving up to 8 weeks early and patients who are transferred to our care from another hospital in the region. St. Joe’s NICU team includes highly trained healthcare workers and physicians who are experts in neonatal medicine who work with unwavering compassion, responding to complex and urgent needs with expertise and resilience.    

“For families, every day here can be both challenging and filled with hope,” said Dr. Angelo Mikrogianakis, Chief of Pediatrics at McMaster Children’s Hospital and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. “This announcement will allow us to create a facility that supports both healing and family centered care. This support is invaluable for the patients and families who rely on our care, as well as the dedicated healthcare workers of St. Joe’s.”  

St. Joe’s also recognizes the invaluable support of our generous community of donors and the work of the St. Joseph’s Healthcare Foundation. Earlier this spring, more than $250,000 in donor funding was invested into adding over 1,200 square feet to the existing nursery.   

A construction schedule will be confirmed once future planning is complete and a project contract is tendered and awarded.