CHI Saint Joseph Health, UK HealthCare collaborate to expand care for babies in Saint Joseph East’s NICU

By Mary Branham and Rick Childress 
University of Kentucky

UK HealthCare will now provide coverage for the neonatal intensive care unit at Women’s Hospital at Saint Joseph East.

The collaboration ensures that mothers and newborns at Saint Joseph East have access to the highest quality care when it is needed. UK HealthCare and CHI Saint Joseph Health initiated the agreement on July 1.

Under the agreement, neonatologists and advanced practice providers from UK HealthCare’s Kentucky Children’s Hospital will provide care for babies in the NICU, including those who are born prematurely, facing acute health complications and/or requiring other specialized medical attention.

This collaboration is similar to agreements UK has with other partners across the state and is consistent with the guidelines of a Level IV NICU provider. Kentucky Children’s Hospital has one of only two Level IV NICUs in Kentucky and is the only one serving Central and Eastern Kentucky.

“At CHI Saint Joseph Health, we believe that collaboration is essential to delivering the highest quality care to our patients,” said Christy Spitser, interim market president for CHI Saint Joseph Health. “Our mission calls us to improve the health of the people we serve, especially those who are vulnerable. We are proud to partner with UK HealthCare to serve our most vulnerable patients. Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of those who need it most.”

The agreement signifies a significant step forward for neonatal care in Lexington.

“At Kentucky Children’s Hospital, we have a mission and responsibility to serve Kentucky’s kids, particularly families that need access to advanced and specialty care,” said Dr. Scottie B. Day, physician-in-chief at Kentucky Children’s Hospital. “This new relationship with Saint Joseph East allows us to accomplish just that, by expanding access to care for Kentucky’s smallest and most vulnerable patients.”

As part of the agreement, Saint Joseph East teams also will have direct access to UK HealthCare’s training and workflow, further enhancing neonatal care at the facility.

“As health care professionals, we’re looking forward to the exchange of knowledge and resources that can come from this partnership,” said Dr. Peter Giannone, chief of the Department of Neonatology at Kentucky Children’s Hospital who will help provide coverage now at Saint Joseph East. “Saint Joseph East’s already accomplished Level III NICU will now have access to a team at UK HealthCare running a Level IV NICU that cares for the smallest and most critically ill babies in the Bluegrass.”