University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital is now welcoming patients and their families to a newly open neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). A built-out space on Level 7 of the children’s hospital opened on March 3, 2026, which will allow the nationally ranked neonatology program to care for more premature and high-risk infants, meeting Iowa’s growing need for highly specialized newborn care.
Stead Family Children’s Hospital has some of the highest survival rates in the country for extremely premature babies. It is home to Iowa’s only nationally ranked Level 4 NICU — the highest level recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics — which means it is equipped to care for the tiniest and most critically ill babies with the greatest range of neonatal services.
“Expanding our NICU represents a major milestone for families across Iowa and for our children’s hospital,” says Denise Jamieson, MD, MPH, UI vice president for medical affairs and the Tyrone D. Artz Dean of the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine. “As access to maternal and newborn care remains limited in many communities, we are seeing more complex pregnancies and babies who need our advanced neonatal services. These new spaces ensure we can expand access while continuing to deliver the highest level of care for our most vulnerable patients.”…