Sick and premature infants in the greater Wilmington area are just one referral call away from quickly accessing lifesaving, expert care close to home. The specialized NICU transport team at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center supports hospitals across eight counties and is paired with comprehensive level 3 NICU services to give referring teams a trusted, regionally accessible option.

The Novant Health transport team – made up of NICU nurses and respiratory therapists, with a neonatal nurse practitioner for severe or life-threatening cases – is a lifeline for families in rural and underserved areas.

Here’s how the Novant Health transport team and receiving centers are designed to minimize stabilization time and improve outcomes.

The team performs a majority of the nearly 100 inbound NICU transports received each year, building on a depth of experience in the field. The transport RNs also attend deliveries and assist with unit procedures to fully work at the top of their license. This continuity supports minimized stabilization time in the field and seamless transition of care upon arrival to optimize outcomes.

Transfer coordination is streamlined through the VitaLink system to expedite referrals.

The NICU transport team participates in a coordinated call with the referring clinicians and medical control. This ensures:

●Quick communication of vital information such as respiratory support and gestational age

●Rapid clinical triage

●Alignment on stabilization steps before the team arrives

For referring emergency departments and delivery units, this process reduces uncertainty and provides real-time specialist input during the most critical early window of care.

The transport team personally communicates with families to ensure transparency and rapid transfer.

When families have early engagement with the medical team, they feel more connected to care and less stressed during a baby’s transitions. The transport team also gives families practical guidance, including:

● An overview of NICU processes

●Contact information and visitation expectations

●Direct, in-person communication before leaving the referring facility

Level 3 NICU capabilities ensure immediate access to advanced monitoring and specialty care.

The level 3 NICU at Novant Health Betty H. Cameron Women’s & Children’s Hospital provides comprehensive care for infants across gestational ages and birth weights, including for babies as young as 22 weeks. Most neonatal emergencies — including those requiring advanced respiratory support and complex medical management — can be treated locally. The NICU team collaborates closely with pediatric subspecialists and surgical teams to provide comprehensive care without automatically routing families hours away.

While cardiac and neurosurgical cases may require transfer elsewhere, most other neonatal and pediatric specialty needs can be addressed within the regional system.

In addition, Novant Health offers:

●24/7 pediatric surgery access

●PICU services for infants who later require critical care beyond the neonatal period

● Ongoing outpatient specialty follow-up through Novant Health Nunnelee Pediatric Multispecialty Care

This continuum allows many infants to remain within the same regional network for both inpatient and long-term care as needed.

The women’s and children’s hospital provides award-winning care with a family-centered care model.

Private NICU rooms are available so infants can have more quiet time and less stimulation, and families can also have alone time for skin-to-skin, breastfeeding and bonding. For additional peace of mind, families can keep an eye on their little ones by accessing the NicView 24-hour streaming camera system.

The in-person and digital connections support improved outcomes for the babies – including lower infant mortality, increased breast milk production and shorter hospital stays.

The program is committed to data-driven quality improvement and alignment with national best practices in neonatal care.

The New Hanover Regional Medical Center NICU participates in the Vermont Oxford Network (VON) and performs strongly on key VON quality metrics. Ongoing benchmarking allows the team to continually evaluate outcomes, refine care practices and adopt evidence-based improvements — particularly in areas such as neurodevelopmental outcomes for premature infants.

For physicians across southeastern North Carolina, New Hanover Regional Medical Center offers a combination of advanced neonatal transport, level 3 NICU expertise and family-centered care that keeps high-quality services closer to home. In urgent neonatal situations, having a capable regional partner can make the difference between delayed escalation and immediate, specialized care. Ensuring that premature infants can receive high-quality care, close to home, keeps families together and provides excellent outcomes.