Chester County Hospital introduces new NICU treatment program

Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) has introduced therapeutic hypothermia treatment, which is a treatment program for infants born with concerns for hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).

HIE occurs when there is a lack of oxygen delivered to parts of the baby's body, which can lead to problems in many organs, including the brain. Previously, babies born with HIE at Chester County Hospital were transferred to two of Penn Medicine’s Philadelphia hospitals or to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to receive this therapy. Thanks to a generous local donor, Chester County Hospital can now offer this cooling treatment to at-risk NICU babies.

“Starting this program is another demonstration of our ability to advance the quality of care that we provide,” said Lisa Drinker, MD, medical director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Chester County Hospital. “And we can provide it right here in Chester County.”

Therapeutic hypothermia—also known as cooling—is a treatment that decreases brain injury in babies with an at-risk delivery by lowering their body temperature and closely monitoring the baby over 72 hours. According to Drinker, within six hours of birth, babies are put on a special cooling mattress that maintains and regulates a proper body temperature and are closely monitored by the hospital's trained neonatal staff. At the end of their treatment, the babies are gradually rewarmed and continue to receive ongoing NICU care.

“Chester County Hospital's priority is providing the highest-quality, family-centered neonatal care, while maintaining a sense of community,” Drinker said. “I’ve been here for ten years, and Chester County Hospital has brought many breakthrough therapies and programs to this community to keep all of our babies healthy and cared for right in our neighborhood.”

Founded in 1892 as the county's first hospital, the non-profit has grown into a 309-bed acute-care inpatient facility in West Chester, PA. It also has outpatient services in Exton, West Goshen, New Garden, West Grove, Jennersville, and Kennett Square, PA. In 2013, Chester County Hospital became part of Penn Medicine, one of the world's leading academic medical centers dedicated to medical education, biomedical research, and excellent patient care. In 2020, Chester County Hospital completed the largest expansion in its history. The project welcomed a state-of-the-art procedural platform with 15 operating room suites, a 99-bed patient tower, a new main entrance, and an expanded and renovated emergency department.