Aspirus St. Luke’s becomes first hospital in U.S to earn AAP level 2 NICU designation

DULUTH, Minn.– Aspirus St Luke’s in Duluth is the first hospital in the country to be designated by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for their level 2 NICU.

The designation shows that they’ve met new guidelines for proper equipment, protocols, and staff training.

The AAP implemented these designation guidelines in 2023 to help standardize NICUs across the country.

A level 2 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit cares for babies born 32 weeks or later, providing special care with skills like feeding and breathing.

The certification from the AAP is a reflection of all that hard work, and one staff member said it means a lot to receive the recognition.

“It’s very validating to be able to work with a larger organization that really gets to see the scope of neonatal care across the country, and to get affirmation that we were doing a great job here, and to now continue that relationship with the AAP and an ongoing certification,” said Jordan Blessing, Pediatric Hospitalist, Aspirus St Luke’s.

The staff at Aspirus St. Luke’s said they take pride in leading the way, and hope this certification starts a trend for other level 2 NICU departments.