Regional NICU Nurses Participate in South Shore Health’s Infant Respiratory Support Training

Recently, the Messina Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) had the privilege of hosting a workshop for colleagues from Boston Medical Center (BMC), Concord Hospital, NH, and Women and Infant’s Hospital, RI. This event focused on introducing cutting-edge techniques to support preterm and full-term infants with immature lungs: Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) surfactant administration and less-invasive respiratory support.

“As a community-level III NICU, we are committed to not only delivering high-quality care to our patients but also to sharing knowledge and advancing neonatal care across the region,” explains Zuzanna Kubicka, MD, NICU Clinical Director at South Shore Hospital. 

Administration of Surfactant via LMA and less-invasive ventilation represent significant advancements in neonatal respiratory support, offering safe and effective alternatives to traditional methods like endotracheal intubation. Physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists from all three hospitals attended the hands-on training sessions, learning how these techniques can reduce risks for fragile infants while improving outcomes. 

“By equipping our healthcare partners with these tools, we are helping to ensure that preterm and sick full-term babies in our broader community receive the best possible care, regardless of where they are treated,” adds Senior Neonatal/Pediatric Respiratory Therapist Carolyn O’Rourke, who co-facilitated the training along with Dr. Kubicka.

South Shore Health is grateful for the opportunity to foster collaboration and share our expertise, reinforcing the collective strength of our regional healthcare network through training opportunities such as this one.