Akron Children’s opening pediatric unit and special care nursery in Warren

While the staff at St. Joseph Health Center in Warren has cared for babies and their mothers for years, they will soon be able to care for even more patients. The hospital has partnered with Akron Children's to provide pediatric services and a special care nursery to the residents of Trumbull County.

"We know that for some areas of Trumbull County it is hard to get all the way to Boardman and so this is an opportunity for us to bring that care closer to the families," said Lisa Aurilio with Akron Children's Hospital.

St. Joseph's will upgrade its level of obstetrical care to allow doctors to deliver babies born up to eight weeks premature. In the past, those infants had to be delivered elsewhere. The special care nursery will also be upgraded to care for those premature infants.

"We will be able to give some oxygen support and care for babies who may have some feeding problems. But babies who need high acuity ventilators; we will still have to transfer those babies," Aurilio said.

Unlike in years past however, those babies will have the opportunity to return to St. Joseph's after they've been stabilized.

"If they are needing to gain weight and be monitored for so many more weeks, they can be sent here if they are from Trumbull County and that will be great for the families," said Kathy Cook the president of St. Joseph Health Center.

Akron Children's will begin operating its pediatric unit by the end of the year. The pediatric unit will care for children between the ages of 29 days old and 18-years-old. By early 2015, construction is expected to be complete on the special care nursery which will care for babies younger than 28 days old.