Family Integrated Care (FICare)

Much of the stress of having an infant in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) comes from the loss of control and feeling of separation many parents experience as a team of nurses, doctors, and specialists takes the lead in their newborn’s care.

Family Integrated Care, or FICare, is an approach that makes parents equal members of their child’s neonatal care team.

The Messina Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at South Shore Hospital is the first NICU in the state of Massachusetts to implement this model of care.

Our caregivers serve as teachers, helping parents develop the skills they need to safely participate in baby’s care in the NICU and gain confidence in preparation for discharge home.

We understand that some parents feel more comfortable with caregivers taking the lead, or that parents may not be able to be physically present in the NICU with their baby for hours a day. Parents can choose to do as many (or as few) of these tasks as they choose. 

South Shore Hospital caregivers will continue to deliver all traditional care, but parents will have the opportunity to participate in all the activities they are comfortable with. 

Parents are taught how to: