MidState and HOCC Form Bond Over NICU Services

Almost a year and a half ago, a relationship was formed between MidState Medical Center’s maternity and pediatric providers and The Hospital of Central Connecticut. Patients at MidState who are deemed high-risk, both mothers and babies, are now transferred to HOCC for higher-level care.

HOCC features 24/7 neonatology services including a neonatal intensive care unit that provides expert care for infants born as early as 28 weeks gestation (three months early) requiring critical respiratory and nutrition support. The facility also partners with a donor breast milk bank to provide optimal nutrition for vulnerable premature infants when needed. HOCC was also recently nationally certified as a Gold Safe Sleep facility and, like MidState, is designated as a Baby Friendly facility by the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, a global program that encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for infant feeding and mother/baby bonding.

Before this new transition was put into effect, high risk patients at MidState in the maternity and newborn units were transferred to tertiary care centers often out of the Hartford HealthCare System to receive their care. Due to the development of this new relationship, most of these patients are now able to remain in the Central Region as well as close to home thanks to the care available at HOCC.

  • “The new transfer services have worked really well. It allows patients to be closer to their homes and families and also remain closer to their community of physicians.”

    - Annmarie Golioto, MD, director of Nurseries and chief of Pediatrics

“We took a look at the types of cases we were transferring to other hospitals and realized that more than 80 percent of the transferred high-risk patients would fall within the care limits that we have at HOCC and could be easily accommodated,” said Annmarie Golioto, MD, director of Nurseries and chief of Pediatrics.

“The new transfer services have worked really well. It allows patients to be closer to their homes and families and also remain closer to their community of physicians. Since the HOCC-MidState maternity and pediatric providers relationship began, we have transferred numerous patients, both moms and babies, from MidState to HOCC for additional care until they’re able to be safely discharged.”