CLERMONT, Fla. – Lake County will soon have its own neonatal intensive care unit for babies.
Orlando Health announced it will begin building a Level 2 NICU at South Lake Hospital, with work expected to be completed in 2027.
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The facility will be at South Lake Hospital’s Center for Women and Babies in Clermont.
NICUs provide round-the-clock care for babies born prematurely, or those with low birth weights or other medical conditions.
Orlando Health says the facility will be 7,200 square feet in size and have 10 beds. Hospitalists and nursing leaders trained at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies will also rotate through the hospitals in the Orlando Health network.
In the past, families would have to go outside the county to get neonatal care for these newborns. Currently, the closest NICU facilities in Central Florida are located in Orange, Osceola, or Seminole counties through Orlando Health, AdventHealth, HCA, and Nemours hospitals. The next closest would be in Lakeland, Ocala, or Brooksville.
Orlando Health South Lake Hospital Center for Women and Babies currently offers a Mobile NICU, which can transport infants born at the hospital to Winnie Palmer.
It also has 24-hour emergency services, fetal medical care for high-risk pregnancies, breastfeeding support, and classes and support groups.