The design or redesign of a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit requires a unified approach which necessitates dedication to understanding newborn physiology and maturation, as well as an effort to provide a physical environment conductive to the patient, the family and the neonatal health care team. This must be accomplished with both space and cost a major consideration. We have just completed the planning, design, and implementation of a new forty bed NICU. Unless there is a well defined approach to the project, hospital politics and unresolved departmental issues are a prelude to failure. The following scheme outlines our approach to designing a modern NICU which will be ”user friendly: and satisfy the needs of all involved groups.

1. Vision Statement; 2. Primary Committee Formation (physicians, nurses, respiratory therapy, administration); 3. Secondary Committee Formation (social work, physical therapy, laboratory, pharmacy, nutrition); 4. Selection of major architect; 5. Selection of neonatal design specialist; 6. Formation of space allocation and financial budget; 7. Medical team unit design; 8. Secondary committee unit design; 8. Visitation to other sites; 9. Review and approval of overall schematic design; 10. Review and approval of specific schematic design (headwalls, lighting, acoustics, hospital information systems); 11. Equipment planning strategy; 12. Review and approval of interior design; 12. Submission of the design materials to the State Planning Commission for approval.

The above scheme must be flexible to allow for compromise over space, function, and need. Strategies must be developed to allow input form all members of the multidisciplinary team. Meetings should be scheduled far in advance with an agenda which will accomplish reasonable goals. A time line for each phase will be maintained. Members of the Committee will each have specified responsibilities so that the concept of a “team effort” remains important. A social aspect to the project should be instituted and carried through the entire design and construction period.