Pediatric Medical / Surgical Ward
Bldg 1, 2East
(619) 532-6250
The pediatric ward provides inpatient care for sick children from infancy to adolescence (healthy newborns and children requiring intensive care are admitted to one of the other units described below). Comprehensive medical and surgical services are provided by two teams that work closely together: Pediatrics, and Pediatric Surgery. A wide range of pediatric subspecialists and surgical specialists are also available for consultation when needed. We accept Tricare patients from clinics, emergency rooms and hospitals throughout the San Diego region as well as overseas military hospitals.
A group of pediatric “hospitalists” (pediatricians who focus on inpatient medicine) primarily manages the Pediatrics team and assists with the care of children on the Pediatric Surgery team. Each team includes resident physicians and medical students from military and civilian training programs who are closely supervised by attending physicians. Nurses provide compassionate around-the-clock care, with the assistance of corpsmen and additional support staff. Our nurses are trained to take care of children, and some have gone on to obtain official national certification in pediatric nursing. Additionally, all of our nurses caring for hematology/oncology patients are certified by the National Association of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Nursing. Other members of our care team include a pediatric dietician, respiratory therapists, social workers, and chaplains.
We strongly support the concept of family-centered care and do not restrict visiting hours except at a parent’s request or when necessary based on a child’s clinical condition. Parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s care and may join physician rounds each morning when their child’s treatment plan is discussed. Our ward is a child-friendly place with murals, play areas, a teacher, visiting therapy dogs (even the San Diego Zoo brings animal visitors on occasion!), and volunteers who strive to meet the unique emotional needs of hospitalized children.
Mother-Infant Unit / Newborn Nursery
Bldg 1, 3North and 3East
(619) 532-6275
The Maternal-Infant Unit is a busy place with over 3300 deliveries each year. Despite the numbers, each and every baby is precious to us, and we value your experience. Pediatric staff in the Newborn Nursery care for all healthy term and late preterm newborns, and a comprehensive Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is available just down the hall for newborns requiring a higher level of care. Additional services include lactation support, social work, infant photography, and birth certificate processing.
In order to provide family-centered care, newborns room-in with their mother after delivery. The father of the baby or one other designated adult may also room-in overnight as long as space is available. Visiting hours for other family members and friends are unlimited, however it is important to consider the parents' and infant's need for time to rest and bond. In addition, friends and family members should refrain from visiting if they have an illness that can be spread to others. Visitors are asked to sign in at the front desk of the ward prior to their visit.
While in the hospital parents watch several videos on newborn care, and our staff is trained to teach new parents how to care for their baby after discharge. We will also provide information on DEERS and Tricare enrollment. Average newborn stays are 1-3 days, depending on the circumstances of the delivery and gestational age at which your baby is born. To ensure that your baby will do well at home, the earliest we discharge infants meeting all discharge criteria is 26 hours of life.
The Maternal-Infant Unit is equipped with state-of-the-art security systems to keep your baby safe. Your baby will be given a fabric ankle bracelet with a transmitter that alarms if the transmitter is removed. Alarms also sound and unit doors lock if someone attempts to take a baby from the unit. This is designed with your baby's safety in mind!
Items to bring for your infant: baby clothes, hat, socks, mittens, a blanket for going home, car seat (it will be checked by our staff on the day of discharge), diaper bag, special power of attorney (needed if the infant's father is deployed to register the infant in DEERS), and marriage certificate (needed if enrolling the infant to a father in DEERS). The Maternal-Infant Unit will provide diapers and wipes while your baby is in the hospital. Formula is also available, however brand preferences cannot always be accomodated.
Our Pediatric Clinic (Bldg 2, 1st floor) provides newborn follow-up care 7 days a week. The first follow-up appointment is typically 1-2 days after discahrge. Most weekday newborn appointments are scheduled in our multidisciplinary Newborn Clinic, which is staffed with specially-trained nurses, lactation consultants, a social worker, and pediatric providers. Babies with appointments on the weekend will be seen by a pediatric provider in the general clinic. Parents who have already chosen to have their baby seen at another clinic are welcome to schedule follow-up there if an appointment is available within the necessary time period, and will be given a comprehensive hospital summary to give to their baby's outpatient provider.
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Bldg 1, 2North
(619) 532-8153
In the PICU, we care for children from birth through 23 years of age admitted with life-threatening illness or injury. Our team includes:
- Board-certified pediatric critical care physicians who direct patient care and lead our team of experts.
- Nurses with specialized training in the care of critically ill and injured children who provide 24-hour bedside care with expertise and compassion, as well as corpsmen who assist our nurses.
- Respiratory therapists with extensive pediatric experience who ensure excellent care of children with breathing problems and run our breathing machines.
- A pediatric nutritionist who ensures that every child receives appropriate nutrition while in the PICU.
- A pediatric pharmacist who assists with appropriate choices and dosing of medications.
- A social worker who helps families cope with the stress of having a child in the PICU and assists families in getting the support and resources they need.
- Fellows, resident physicians, and medical students who are training to provide pediatric critical care while under close supervision by our attending physicians.
- Most importantly, our patients and their parents whose input and participation is essential in the care we provide.
The PICU team is committed to providing the highest level of care to our patients. Further, we strive to care for the parents, siblings, and other family members of our patients because we appreciate how stressful it can be to have a child in the PICU. Family and friends are allowed to visit patients in the PICU at any time. However, due to space constraints only one parent is allowed to sleep at the child's bedside. The PICU can be a bit scary for siblings. If siblings plan to visit, parents may wish to contact our social worker to discuss how best to prepare children for their visit to the PICU.
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
Bldg 1, 3rd Floor
(619) 532-8910
Our NICU is a 32 bed level III unit, with an average daily census of 20-25 infants. We provide full support for critically ill infants ranging from 23 weeks gestational age to full term. We have advanced ventilator capability and provide the highest and most sophisticated care available. NMCSD has an active Maternal-Fetal Medicine department, and acts as a referral resource for complicated pregnancies and complex neonatal cases from all regional Military Treatment Facilities as well as overseas military hospitals in Guam, Okinawa and Japan.
We have a full component of pediatric subspecialists including: Cardiology, Pulmonology, Gastroenterology, Endocrine, Neurology, Genetics/Metabolic, Infectious Disease, Hematology/Oncology, Nephrology, and Developmental Pediatrics. We also have comprehensive surgical services including: General Pediatric Surgery, Pediatric Neurosurgery, Pediatric Ophthalmology (including ROP laser surgery capability), Pediatric ENT, Pediatric Urology, and Pediatric Orthopedics.
NMCSD has a fully accredited pediatric residency training program, and the NICU is heavily involved with resident teaching. We are committed to maintaining an academic environment that ensures we provide the most up-to-date care based on current literature and collaborative reviews of our current practice.
The NICU is staffed by an in-house, board certified neonatologist 24 hours a day. The remainder of the care team includes neonatal nurse practitioners, pediatrics residents, a strong cadre of experienced neonatal nurses and respiratory therapists, social workers, a dedicated NICU pharmacist, and lactation support.