Will County's first NICU opening in May

NEW LENOX, Ill. - The first of its kind Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is set to open next month in Will County.

This is the county’s first and only level 3 NICU at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox.

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin helped to secure $500,000 in federal funding to help build the NICU.

The $12.9 million facility will have 24 private rooms, a family lounge, and dedicated rooms for parents to spend the night so they don't have to leave their baby's side.

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The new NICU will care for premature newborns, full-term babies with congenital disorders, and help address infant mortality rates.

Patients of the NICU will be cared for 24/7 by a team of highly skilled doctors and nurses. The goal is to improve outcomes for new babies.

"I understand that there are 3,000 births here a year at Silver Cross and last year 50 of the babies had to be transferred to other hospitals because they didn't have a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit," Durbin said.

The NICU is set to open sometime in May.