Sanford Health Birth Center and NICU expanding in Bismarck

BISMARCK, N.D., May 13, 2019 — Sanford Health in Bismarck is announcing the expansion of its Birth Center and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The NICU is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2020; the Birth Center is slated to open in the spring of 2021.

The new birth center will feature updated amenities and rooms equipped with whirlpool tubs to help mothers in labor and also with postpartum pain. The new unit also will feature a new operating room with a camera system, allowing parents to be more involved with the birth of their baby. When completed, the new unit will be called Family Birth Center.

“We are switching our model of care to better meet the needs of our patients,” said Megan Miller, OB/GYN. “The concept for the Family Birth Center design is to provide a modern, but cozy, environment for families to welcome their newest addition.”

In addition to the Family Birth Center, the NICU will undergo a significant remodel. Three years ago, Mark and Claudia Thompson of Bismarck made a $500,000 gift to the Sanford Health Foundation. Their generous donation will benefit the NICU. The new unit will be twice as big as the current NICU and will feature 24 beds, including 18 private rooms and a six-bed bay. The private rooms give parents the opportunity to stay in a room with their babies during their time in the NICU.

“Sanford is thrilled to be the first hospital in central and western North Dakota to offer private rooms in its NICU,” said Randi Schaeffer, executive director of Sanford Women’s and Children’s. “The NICU will also feature a cutting-edge lighting system, which will significantly help our tiny babies who are born dependent to drugs or alcohol.”

Construction on both projects is expected to begin later this month.