Antelope Valley Hospital (AVH) announced this week a partnership with Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA for inpatient neonatal and pediatric services.
The chief of pediatrics and medical director of the neonatal intensive care unit at the Lancaster facility said the partnership expands the neonatal and pediatric sub-specialty care available at the hospital, including such treatments as total body cooling which is a therapy that may prevent or minimize the consequences of brain injury in newborns.
“Babies who are born or diagnosed with a very serious condition can now receive the complex level of care they need, right here in our community,” said Dr. Murugesa Thangavel. “As neonatal medicine continues to evolve, I am proud to say that the capabilities of our NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) have continued to evolve, too, from two rooms in 1985 to 21 licensed beds today.”
As part of the agreement, 10 UCLA board-certified neonatologists are assigned to AVH, and at least one is on call 24/7 at the area’s only full-service hospital.
In addition, three board-certified pediatric hospitalists are available to provide specialized inpatient medical care and emergency room consultations for newborns, as well as sick or injured infants and children.
