Aspirus St. Luke’s in Duluth becomes first hospital to earn NICU designation

DULUTH, Minn.– Aspirus St Lukes in Duluth is the first hospital in the country to be designated for their level 2 NICU.

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

The certification from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AARP) is a reflection of all that hard work.

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

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 Lukes.

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.