NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Scott & White ranks among the
nation’s top 3 percent for survival rates. As the only Level III facility between
Dallas and Austin, the NICU cares for extremely premature newborns or
critically ill infants who require surgery or other pediatric expertise. Specially
trained pediatric teams provide ground and air transport for fragile newborns
and expectant mothers. Highly specialized technology and neonatal expertise
have helped thousands of families take their infants home to thrive.
Landon Orsag age 4
Holly Orsag did everything she could to prepare for a healthy
delivery of her baby in 2007. When Landon arrived, however, he
was 14 weeks early and weighed just 30 ounces. It was critical that
he be immediately transferred from the hospital where he was
born to Scott & White, where he could receive the expert care
offered by the pediatric specialists there.
Time was of the essence. Landon had quickly developed lifethreatening pulmonary emphysema because of his underdeveloped
lungs. The neonatal transport team from Scott & White soon
arrived via helicopter and sprang into action. They began to deliver
lifesaving respiratory therapy from equipment inside the chopper,
which is specially outfitted with a temperature-controlled airborne
incubator, or isolette. It also houses a high-frequency ventilator to
pump air into a newborn’s tiny lungs, giving the baby a fighting
chance. Soon the team and Landon were on their way to the
hospital, where Landon would begin a three-month stay at Scott &
White’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Landon is alive today because of the generosity of the McLane
Company, which donated the funds to purchase the neonatal
transport equipment. He was the first child to benefit from it. Now,
four years later, hundreds of lives have been saved, and Landon’s
story has gone on to be a classic tale of childhood: He loves baseball
and playing outside with his tractors. He’s walking and talking, just
a normal little boy. As Mrs. Orsag says, “When you see all the
technology to help your child, it’s just unreal. But technology saves
lives, and Landon is living, breathing proof of that.”
The combination of pediatric experts and advanced technology
helps make miracles happen! Scott & White is grateful to the
McLane Company, which has taken a strong lead to ensure that the
most fragile patients get the very best care. The company has also
donated most of the funds needed for a dedicated pediatric
ambulance, as well as funding for transport infusion smart pumps
for the ambulance and the helicopter. These contributions have
allowed Scott & White pediatric specialists to reach out to hospitals
in remote areas and treat very sick children who may not otherwise
have had access to advanced medical care. ■
“When you see all the technology to help your child,
it’s just unreal. But technology saves lives, and
Landon is living, breathing proof of that.”
—Holly Orsag
sw.org | Fall 11 THE CATALYST
23