Bay Shore Hospital Adds 16 NICU Cameras To Connect Parents And Babies

BAY SHORE, NY — Parents enduring the heartache of a newborn spending time in the neonatal intensive care unit at South Shore University Hospital can now find comfort in staying connected to their babies even while they're not in the hospital, SSUH announced Monday.

The hospital has installed 16 NicView 2 cameras in its NICU, giving parents an on-demand, 24/7, video-only view of their infants through a computer or phone app.

The around-the-clock video system consists of a small camera capturing live video of the infant in the NICU incubator, according to hospital officials. Individual feeds are secure and streamed to a web-based platform that parents and authorized family members can view on computers, smartphones or tablets.

Anyone with access can view the feed anywhere, anytime, which can help ease the strain of being separated from the baby. NICU staff also have access to the camera feed, allowing them to respond swiftly to any situations that arise, officials said.

"Having the NicView camera system in our NICU has been transformative for both parents and healthcare providers," said Scarlett McKinsey, MD, associate director of neonatology for Northwell’s eastern region. "It allows parents to stay connected with their premature babies, offering a sense of reassurance and emotional support during a challenging time. For the medical team, it enhances communication and collaboration with families, ensuring they are involved in every step of their baby's care journey."

The password-protected cameras offer a "high degree of privacy," thanks to an end-to-end encryption and SSL authentication, hospital officials said. The live streams are not recorded.

According to the hospital, when parents log into NicView, they can see real-time streaming images of their baby. The stream pauses when doctors tend to the infant and displays an “offline” message but resumes once care is complete. The app will also deliver messages to parents from the staff regarding the infant’s care and progress.

The entire $142,000 cost of the project, including installation, was funded by philanthropic support. The fundraising effort was led by SSUH Board member and donor Karen Grando, who was joined by Frank Boulton, Suffolk Transportation, Webster Bank, Frank Bono and the 2023 Rosé committee.

SSUH’s 6,300-square-foot NICU opened in October 2022 as part of a $71 million capital improvement plan to revolutionize the maternity and women’s services programs at SSUH. Each room has a pull-out bed for parents and features the highest-level medical equipment available for newborns.