Corpus Christi, TX, March 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Driscoll Children’s Hospital celebrated the grand opening of its new 60-bed Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) today, marking a major advancement in neonatal services for South Texas. Hospital leadership, staff, and special guests gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and VIP tour, providing an inside look at the hospital’s latest advancements in neonatal care.
The 26,000-square-foot NICU, located on the fifth floor of Driscoll’s Pavilion, features a hybrid room model designed to enhance specialized care. The unit includes 18 private patient rooms, three twin rooms, and nine four-bed open bay rooms, ensuring a balance of critical care and family-centered comfort.
“This new NICU strengthens Driscoll’s ability to care for our region’s most vulnerable newborns,” said NICU Medical Director Dr. Euming Chong. “Every detail of this NICU—from its layout to its technology—was designed to support our medical teams in delivering the highest level of neonatal care while providing families with a healing environment.”
NICU Director Chris Joyal emphasized the hospital’s commitment to innovation: “This NICU represents the future of neonatal care in South Texas. It’s a space where advanced medicine and compassionate care come together, ensuring the best possible outcomes for our tiniest patients.”
A Growing Network of NICU Care
Driscoll has been steadily expanding its NICU capacity to ensure that every family in South Texas has access to life-saving neonatal care when it’s needed most.
- Driscoll’s newly built 60-bed NICU replaces its previous unit and remains the only Level IV NICU in South Texas.
- Over the past two years, Driscoll has opened the 24-bed Neonatal Care Center inside CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital and a new eight-story hospital in the Rio Grande Valley, adding 63 NICU beds.
- Driscoll manages more than 200 NICU beds across South Texas, forming the region’s largest network of neonatal intensive care.
“Driscoll has been unwavering in its commitment to expanding neonatal care across South Texas,” said Sean Pieri, VP of Marketing and Development. “With every new NICU bed, we are ensuring that no family must face the uncertainty of critical newborn care alone. This latest advancement reflects our vision to bring life-saving care closer to home, no matter where a child takes their first breath. Thank you to the donors who made this moment possible.”
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About Driscoll: Driscoll is the premier healthcare provider for kids in South Texas. We are a nonprofit healthcare system that has served communities in the Lone Star State since 1953. Today, Driscoll is the fastest-growing healthcare system in the region, offering care at the region’s only two freestanding designated children’s hospitals: Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi and Driscoll Children’s Hospital Rio Grande Valley, and at specialty centers and clinics across South Texas. Our nonprofit community-based health plan, Driscoll Health Plan, offers Texas families access to local physicians and other lifesaving benefits.
- Driscoll Children’s Hospital NICU