Swedish Ballard will open a new Level II Nursery on Monday, April 27. The Level II Nursery allows for premature babies— born as early as 34 weeks gestational age — to receive specialized, around-the-clock care from a trained team of experts.

Premature babies often face health challenges that require special interventions such as feeding support, intravenous therapy or supplemental oxygen. Previously, infants born at Swedish Ballard who needed specialized neonatal care were transferred to other area hospitals. With the new Level II Nursery, these infants can remain at Swedish Ballard with their families.

“This special care nursery was been made possible by the combined efforts of our team here at Swedish and the dedicated members of our community,” said Jennifer Graves, Chief Executive and Nurse Executive, Swedish Ballard. It is the realization of our dream to provide exceptional care in Ballard that spans the entire pregnancy and birth experience. It is our hope that the Level II Nursery will inspire confidence in each and every expecting mother who comes to Swedish Ballard, especially those more likely to have a high-risk pregnancy.”

The new Swedish Ballard Level II Nursery features:

· Eight healing spaces to care for infants and their families.

· A multidisciplinary medical team, including neonatal registered nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists, social workers, care managers, dietitians, lactation consultants, child life specialists, physical and occupational therapists, pharmacists and more.

· A supportive environment for newborns and their families to receive much needed support.

· A location near the Labor & Delivery Unit on the fifth floor of the hospital.

More information regarding pregancy and childbirth at Swedish can be found at here.