Manning Family Children’s is constructing a new 60-bed Level 4 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The new flagship unit will anchor the hospital’s regional neonatology network and address a critical need for expanded capacity and advanced specialized care for families from across Louisiana and the Gulf South.
The project will increase the hospital’s current main campus NICU capacity from 35 to 60 beds, while expanding its broader regional neonatal network, which encompasses all LCMC Health birthing hospitals and its affiliate partners, to nearly 200 beds.
“As a Level 4 NICU, Manning Family Children’s provides the highest level of neonatal intensive care available, caring for babies with the most complex needs,” said Lindsey Casey, RN, chief nursing officer for Manning Family Children’s. “As the only facility in Louisiana with a full complement of pediatric medical and surgical specialties, this critical investment will provide our care teams with the space, technology, and infrastructure that match the excellence of the care we provide – all designed with the experience of our families at the center.”
Louisiana currently faces the second-highest preterm birth rate in the United States at 13.4%, with New Orleans and Baton Rouge ranking among the lowest for preterm birth rates in the country. In 2025, Manning Family Children’s main campus NICU cared for 272 critically ill babies transferred from 39 different referring hospitals across the region. The hospital has seen an increase in the number of micro-preemies cared for over recent years, including babies born as early as 22 weeks – many weighing barely a pound.
The new unit will triple the current NICU’s square footage and feature an intentional design that fosters a quiet, low-stimulation, family-centered healing environment.
Key features of the expansion include:
-Developmentally supportive care environments: Sensory optimized patient care rooms that promote optimal neurodevelopment and patient and family centered care
-Integrated Procedural Spaces: On-unit procedure space to support rapid intervention by pediatric subspecialists when seconds matter
-Family Transition Rooms: Co-located suites designed for families to “room in” as they prepare for independent care and discharge home
-Modern, efficient design: Improved space for clinical workflows, equipment, and multidisciplinary teams, along with state-of-the-art technology to equip care teams with the best tools to save lives and improve outcomes.
-Advanced Academic Space: Expanded facilities for the region’s only neonatology fellowship program and the pediatric academic pipeline for LSU Health New Orleans and Tulane Medicine, growing the next generation of pediatric and neonatal providers.
Manning Family Children’s also operates the region’s only 24/7 pediatric and neonatal critical transport service, including its dedicated helicopter Abby, which completed 133 neonatal air transports in 2025.
The new unit will be housed on the 4th floor of Manning Family Children’s newest medical tower, which was framed out as shell space during the hospital’s 2018-2021 campus expansion. The project is scheduled to break ground this Spring, and open in 2027. The new NICU is designed by Kennedy Kraft Architects and will be constructed by Woodward Designs. Additionally, the hospital has launched a corresponding capital campaign to help make this vital investment possible.