About the Division

Our fellowship-trained neonatal specialists bring compassion and expertise to the Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU, at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. Comprehensive training includes neonatal ECMO, hypothermia management through our ARCTIC program, neonatal neurodevelopmental follow-up and air and ground neonatal transport education. Our family-centered, developmentally appropriate approach provides care for premature and critically ill newborns that is among the most comprehensive in Virginia, and robust training for the next generation of neonatologists.

Our 40-bed NICU features 32 single rooms, four twin-patient rooms, a sibling playroom, two negative pressure rooms, an operative/ECMO suite, a palliative care suite and a parent lounge. The comprehensive team of physicians, neonatal nurses, nurse practitioners, respiratory specialists and other health care providers are equipped to treat newborns with conditions such as:

Prematurity
Congenital anomalies in the heart, brain, kidneys and other organs
Respiratory distress and inefficiency
Cardiovascular diseases
Gastrointestinal disease
Infectious disease, including congenital infections
Neurological diseases
Heart lung bypass
Hypothermia treatment for hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy

Education

Medical Students

Medical students often join us on inpatient and outpatient rotations during their M3 clerkship and M4 acting internship. When students express a particular interest in pediatric gastroenterology, we are happy to provide additional support and connect them with enhanced educational opportunities.

Read about electives for medical students

Residents

Pediatric residents spend one four-week block in the NICU each year, with opportunities for additional exposure through elective rotations. Our program is designed for individualization, and our dedicated faculty provide robust training and additional support for residents interested in pursuing neonatal medicine as a subspecialty.

Learn about our residency

Fellows

Our three-year, ACGME-accredited neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship is one of only two programs of its kind in Virginia. Fellows gain experience in clinical care, research and teaching, and complete the program equipped to excel in the highest level NICUs, caring for the most critically ill infants and their families.

Learn about our neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship

NICU Shadowing

VCU pre-medical graduate students and medical students have the opportunity to observe a typical work day for a neonatologist and gain exposure to the healthcare environment of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The program encourages students to explore careers in healthcare or medicine and begin to consider areas of focus in healthcare.

Learn more about NICU shadowing

Jack's Summer Scholars

In our competitive, collaborative summer program, premedical undergraduate and medical students are exposed to clinical mentorship and research opportunities within neonatal medicine.

Apply here

Research

The Division of Neonatal Medicine has an active clinical trials program with research in the following areas:

Necrotizing enterocolitis
Central line associated blood stream infections
Microbiome and probiotics
Innovative use of growth factors to ensure health retinal growth
Interventional pulmonary care, including neutrally adjusted ventilation assist, or NAVA

Explore our pediatric research