NICU Transport Team delivers exceptional care to babies and their families

As Ryan Griffin drove his wife Elise from her 33-week prenatal check-up to the hospital, he was worried his daughters might be born in the car. They headed to an operating room for an emergency Cesarean section. The twins were born less than two hours later.

Meanwhile, more than 40 miles away, a team of experts jumped into action.

Elise and Ryan of Rye had been excited to welcome two daughters into their family, which already included older brother James. But with pre-term labor, the excitement quickly became anxiety, flooded with decisions and questions needing to be answered.

The hope of a picture-perfect birth at the hospital close to their home vanished.

“The day of birth was extremely hectic, and it was tough to know exactly what was going on with our girls,” Ryan said. “We needed experts who would come in and help us feel confident.”

Elliot Hospital’s NICU Transport Team stepped in to provide critical care and comfort during a whirlwind of uncertainty.

Ryan said that as soon as the team arrived, they assessed the situation, took control and answered all the questions.

EXPECTING THE UNEXPECTED

Since Portsmouth Regional Hospital specializes in caring for babies born after 37 weeks, they partner with Elliot Hospital, the only Level III NICU in southern New Hampshire with the ability to care for critically ill infants born as early as 22-weeks gestation.

Elise had not expected complications since her pregnancy with James had been uncomplicated just over a year before. However, she and Ryan had discussed what their wishes would be if the need arose: they chose The Elliot.

“We had heard that their NICU was wonderful,” Elise said. “And we learned that it is.”

The neonatal transport team at The Elliot, directed by neonatologist Dr. Matthew Ryzewski, is staffed by specially-trained neonatal nurse practitioners, neonatal physician assistants, respiratory therapists, and nurses. The team is available 24/7 to care for babies from as far away as Peterborough and North Conway.

Respiratory distress is one of the most common consequences of preterm birth. While some community hospitals may not have the resources for tiny babies, the transport arrives with specialized equipment including smaller breathing tubes for babies, special medicine to speed up lung maturity, and a neonatal ventilator built into the transport incubator.

MAKING THE MOST OF EARLY MOMENTS

For the Griffins, the transport team became not just experienced medical providers but a supportive lifeline as they dealt with the upheaval of their twins’ preterm births.

Elise Griffin said that though she was still in surgery, the respiratory therapist who cared for her daughters came in to introduce himself.

“It is very scary and painful to not be with your newborn daughters,” Elise said. “The peace of mind that I had was this man had come and introduced himself to me, so I knew who was taking care of my girls.”

The neonatal transport team also made sure that she had an opportunity to see her daughters, Betsy and Hallie, in the recovery room before they left for Manchester. Elise wouldn’t be discharged from Portsmouth until the following day.

“Obviously, it was an emergency situation, and they needed to be transferred to The Elliot, but they took the time so that a new mom could spend a couple of minutes with them, even just touch their little hands, since I couldn’t hold them yet,” Elise Griffin said.  “So, I’ll always be grateful for those things.”

FAMILY-CENTERED NICU CARE AT THE ELLIOT

The expert care and thoughtfulness continued once the family was reunited at The Elliot. The twins spent five weeks being treated in the NICU before they were cleared to go home.

“The entire time we were here, I felt like they went above and beyond, from the charge nurses to the nurse practitioners, all the way up to the doctors, even the support staff,” Ryan Griffin said. “The entire stay with the team really made me feel as comfortable as I could, and in the given circumstance, I felt like we were really treated special, so we’re really grateful for the entire team.”

The Elliot NICU implements Family-Centered Rounds, a model that involves an interdisciplinary medical team and family members in medical decision-making.

“We see ourselves as taking care of not just the infant in the ICU, but also taking care of the entire family unit,” Dr. Ryzewski said. “Having a newborn who’s critically ill and who requires newborn intensive care is a very emotional experience for the parents. So, not only are we dealing with the infant from a medical standpoint, we’re also there as an emotional support system for the parents.”

The Elliot offers a support group for families as well as alumni parents who can help provide guidance and comfort to NICU parents.

The NICU runs on a tight twelve-hour rotation, and each family is assigned a primary nurse to ensure consistency. The Griffins said that their team did whatever they could to help them take care of their daughters while still getting home to have bedtime with their son.

“I felt like they knew what I needed, kind of before I did,” Elise said. “It’s hard to take care of your kids if you can’t take care of yourself. And I just think, The Elliot team doesn’t only take care of kids, they take care of us as well.”

A PLACE WHERE FAMILIES GROW

Dr. Ryzewski said that The Elliot is very proud of its NICU and the work it does to care for babies with serious medical conditions.

“We take care of the sickest babies within our region,” he said. “Expectant families in New Hampshire should be comforted by the fact that here at The Elliot we can offer this service so that if their babies do require intensive care after birth, we’re here with specialized training to take care of these babies in these situations.”

Despite their early entry into the world, the girls are doing well and hitting milestones.

“One of the most joyful parts of my job is to watch these infants grow and thrive,” said Dr. Ryzewski, “And by extension, the families grow and thrive together as well.”

Today, Betsy and Hallie are growing and developing like any other babies. Elise and Ryan are looking forward to them sleeping through the night and walking.

“We’re just really grateful for everyone at The Elliot because we get to be their parents,” Elise said.