Your Guide to the NICU

Important Phone Numbers

Important Websites

• Brandon NICU
• UM Health System
• Mott Children's Hospital
• Create Patient Website
• Brandon Graduate Parents

Location

The Brandon NICU is located on the fourth level of the Maternal Child Health Care Center (MCHC).

The entrance to the Brandon NICU is by way of the 2nd floor lobby of MCHC. More directions are available at the Information Desk near the entrance from the parking structure.

All visitors to Mott Hospital, the Women's Birth Center, and our Brandon Neonatal Intensive Care Unit are required to wear a visitor's badge to maintain a safe and secure environment.

There are two Security badging stations on Mott Level 2, across from the East Visitor and the West Elevators. Security screeners at these stations provide visitors with the visitor badge, health screenings, validate visitor parking, direct patients and visitors, and answer questions. Siblings and visitors under age 16 will receive a brief health screening. Screenings will be done according to the Mott Pediatric Infection Control Screening Policy for visitors 16 and under.

The Security badging stations also have basic first aid and AED (automatic external defibrillator devices) on hand for emergencies.

Parking

Parking is available in the Patient/visitor parking ramp. There is a fee for parking but reduced rates are available on a limited basis. Check with the Badging Station for more information.

Food

There is a Meal Program for Families and Guests of the Brandon NICU. Custom boxed meals are available to families and guests through MCHC Room Service Program.

A "Vending Machine Snack Bar", which is open 24 hours a day, is located on the second level of MCHC. More vending machines, the cafeteria and convenience food may be found in the main hospital of the University of Michigan Hospitals. The hours are posted in the Brandon NICU.

This link provides more information on food: http://www.med.umich.edu/nicu/geninfo/food.shtml

Guest Assistance Program

The Department of Social Work created the Guest Assistance Program office to assist you with support services and resources while you are receiving care at our institution. Resources available include information on discount lodging, transportation, notary services, etc.

Lodging

There are many local hotels and motels for families who wish to stay overnight. The Med-Inn is a hotel within the hospital that has affordable rooms. They offer a variety of services. You may also wish to consider staying at the Ronald McDonald House, which is only a block away. You can get information about these and other places to stay from the social worker, front desk clerk or charge nurse. If traveling to the hospital to see your baby is difficult for you financially, please tell your baby's nurse or the social worker.

More information about lodging can be found at: http://www.med.umich.edu/hotels/profiles.htm

or by calling 734-936-0135 or 1-800-544-8684

Telephone Calls

While you are recovering in the hospital, or when you are at home, but unable to come to see your baby, please feel free to call us. Our telephone number is 734-763-4111 (direct line). The nurse who is caring for your baby will be glad to talk to you. If at all possible, please avoid calling at change of shift times (7:30-8am, 3:30-4pm, 7:30-8pm, 11:30-12midnight), as your nurse may not be available.

The Brandon NICU also has a toll free telephone line. The purpose of this special line is to enable you to call us long distance, at no cost to you, to ask about your baby. The telephone number is 1-800-521-4369. This number can be dialed from any location in Michigan or from the Toledo, Ohio area if your area code is 419. We ask that ONLY PARENTS call on this line. If you live in or around Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area and it is not long distance or a toll call to phone the hospital, please call 734-763-4111.

Because of the high cost of the toll free line, we ask you to help us. This line services all of the babies' parents. While your baby is seriously ill or newly admitted, call as frequently as you would like. After his/her condition has stabilized and you are able to visit more often, we ask that you use the "toll-free" line less often. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

It is our policy to give information about your baby only to YOU, the baby's parents, or designated guardians. We know that your family and friends are also very interested in your baby's progress but because we want to protect your confidentiality and respect your privacy, we cannot provide the information to them. We would like you to ask them to not call the Brandon NICU; rather, we recommend they call you at home or you phone them with progress reports on your baby. You may also wish to set up a website to share information about your baby's progress with others. You can find information about do so at www.med.umich.edu/tlc. There are computers available in the unit for your use. You can find out about them at the front desk.

Cell phones may be used in the unit. Here are guidelines for their use within the baby's rooms: Cell phones must remain one foot from medical devices in operation. No two-way (push to talk) conversations may be used in and out of the ICU's. The ringer must be set to vibrate. Conversations must be ended during rounds, or the family must leave the bedside at that time. A call may need to end if the baby's condition changes or if it is disruptive to the baby's care or to other families. Calls should be limited to less than seven minutes.

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