New funding boosts specialized neonatal care at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton

In a move to enhance neonatal services for families across Hamilton and the broader southwestern Ontario region, the Ontario government has announced funding for a redeveloped Special Care Nursery at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. This new investment will allow the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to expand its capacity and support more newborns in a state-of-the-art facility designed to offer family-centred, specialized care close to home.

Serving regions from Hamilton to Brant, Niagara, Haldimand, and Halton, the expanded NICU will bring several new features aimed at improving care and support for critically ill newborns and their families. The redeveloped unit will include enhanced infection prevention and control measures, private rooms to create a quieter environment, and an improved layout that will allow staff to provide specialized care more effectively.

Additionally, the new nursery will include a designated area to store pumped or donated milk, addressing a vital need for neonatal nutrition and lactation support. Other new facilities will help meet the early developmental needs of newborns, including respiratory treatments and enhanced nutrition services.

Angelo Mikrogianakis, chair of pediatrics at McMaster University and chief of pediatrics at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, spoke at the funding announcement, reflecting on the team’s longstanding commitment to NICU families.

“When I joined in 2018, I met people with a deep passion for the patients and families they serve,” he said. “Today’s announcement delivers on the hope and commitment of our staff and physicians to give these families the best possible start. Every day in the NICU is a set of challenges, but with the dedication of our staff, these challenges are overcome with compassion and love.”

Mikrogianakis noted that the investment will allow St. Joseph’s NICU to support families through critical times in their lives, offering facilities and care that focus on growth, healing, and family support.

“This support is invaluable to the tiny patients and their families who rely on the compassionate, round-the-clock care provided by our dedicated healthcare workers here at St. Joe’s. Today, as we approach World Prematurity Day, it is especially meaningful to celebrate this milestone.”