MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s welcomes NICU

NICU nurses are experts at providing care to the tiniest patients.

The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and intermediate care nursery (ICN) at MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital is now officially part of Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. This exciting change in licensure, effective Nov. 6, 2023, allows the youngest and tiniest patients to have centralized, multidisciplinary pediatric care from birth.  

Dedicated NICU nurses

Having the NICU and ICN under Mary Bridge Children’s allows us to centralize pediatric care resources, expertise and facilities under one hospital, enabling us to continue to improve the care we provide to our smallest patients. 

The NICU at Tacoma General originally opened in 1977 with eight beds. Today, the NICU has 70 beds, including 51 private rooms, one twin room and an 18-bed Level II nursery. The NICU staff includes 220 dedicated individuals and more than 200 NICU nurses — some who have been with us for more than 40 years.  

Maverick, the first graduate from Mary Bridge Children’s NICU.

This change will also facilitate smoother transitions for newborns who require ongoing, specialized outpatient pediatric care at Mary Bridge Children’s once they have been discharged from the NICU. The physical units aren’t moving, and the staff remains the same.

We’re excited to extend the Mary Bridge Children’s experience to NICU families and to welcome the NICU staff to the Mary Bridge Children’s family.