Our Story
The Royal Columbian Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Program (RCH NICU Program) started in 1988 , at the time operating as a level I Special Care Nursery. By 1995, the scope of care had evolved to a level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Today, it has grown to a 24-bed unit, one of the two level III NICUs in the Fraser Health Authority (FHA), and one of the four in all of British Columbia. The RCH NICU Program works in tandem with the RCH Labour and Delivery Program, which serves expectant mothers with the highest risk pregnancies in the province and delivers approximately 3200 babies per year.
Over time, our NICU Program has pushed the boundaries of care and developed a true expertise in caring for extremely preterm newborns at the threshold of viability. Our multidisciplinary team works together to help preterm newborns survive and thrive with some of the best outcomes in Canada. We care for just over 450 newborns yearly, almost 10% of which are born at less than 29 weeks gestational age. This represents about a quarter of all extreme preterm babies born in British Columbia every year.
RCH NICU Program in the news:
The Amici Regales award is given annually by the WMA to a physician or physician group in recognition of extraordinary service and achievements in care, exemplifying the high standard of practice of RCH physicians.
October 2025
This month, we congratulate Dr Zenon Cieslak on his retirement and thank him for having dedicated 31 years to the RCH NICU and our patients. Dr Cieslak, who was the NICU and Pediatrics head of department for many years, ushered our Program through many advancements, including progressing to a level III NICU in 1995.
Passionate about neonatal care, he leaves behind a legacy of excellence, through his leadership and teaching over the years. He has shaped many of us into the clinicians we are today, helped physicians and allied health members refine their procedural skills, and always emphasized the importance of compassionate communication to strengthen relationships with families and team members alike. We will miss him dearly.
