October 25, 2022– HCA Florida Mercy Hospital, a comprehensive medical facility that has been serving the healthcare needs of South Florida for more than 70 years, today announced the expansion of its Neonatal Intensive Care Program. Mercy is now licensed as a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which means the facility is capable of caring for critically ill neonatal babies.
The expansion includes a new state-of-the art unit housed on the fourth floor of the hospital, designed to serve the needs of newborns requiring additional intensive care. Each patient has its own spacious, independent room equipped with organ support equipment and furnishings, making it comfortable for parents to be present during the care of their baby, or babies.
“Our new Level III designation and our current expansion, are important milestones for us in our history of serving our community’s mothers and newborn babies. Receiving this designation confirms our hospital’s commitment to providing exceptional care to our Mercy babies and their families,” said David Donaldson, Chief Executive Officer, HCA Florida Mercy Hospital.
The Level III designation emphasizes Mercy’s ability to care for very small or very sick newborn babies born at less than 32 weeks gestation as well as babies born with critical illness, at all gestational ages. To gain the official Level III designation, HCA Florida Mercy Hospital had to meet a range of stringent standards, including: 24-hour, in-house coverage by specialized neonatology personnel; multiple experts and subspecialists available for the neonate, including pediatric radiologists, pharmacists, dietitians, and therapists; and a board-certified neonatologist available around the clock.
“This designation can give parents peace of mind knowing they are in the very best of hands from the beginning of their pregnancy until their baby goes home, even if they are born prematurely,” said Dr. Bernardo Pimentel, MD, FAAP, the director of HCA Florida Mercy Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit. Dr. Pimentel has been practicing at Mercy Hospital for 34 years, 32 of those years as the director of Mercy’s NICU program.
Mercy has been serving the needs of newborns and their mothers in the community since 1950.
About HCA Florida Mercy Hospital
Mercy Hospital is a comprehensive medical facility that has been serving the healthcare needs of South Florida for more than 70 years. The 488-bed, acute care hospital is an award-winning facility that specializes in emergency services that are kid and senior friendly, maternity with level II NICU, general and robotic surgery, hyperbaric and wound care center, cardiology, cancer care, orthopedic and spine, primary stroke center, weight loss programs and more. Mercy is Miami-Dade’s only catholic hospital and provides patients with the best quality care in a compassionate and caring environment. Mercy is part of HCA East Florida, the largest healthcare system in Eastern Florida and an affiliate of HCA Healthcare. HCA East Florida offers multiple ambulatory surgery centers, physician practices, urgent care and free-standing emergency care facilities. Mercy Hospital is located in the heart of Coconut Grove, FL with a bay front property that makes Mercy the only hospital in Miami to be accessible by land, air and sea. For more information on Mercy Hospital, visit mercymiami.com and like us on facebook.com/MercyHospitalMiami/
