NICU Families in Utah Valley: The Units at Utah Valley, Timpanogos, American Fork and Payson, and How to Get Through a Long Stay

Abigail Giordano Senior Writer, Provo.com How we make Provo.com

If your baby has just been admitted to a newborn intensive care unit, start with three calls you can make today: your insurer (to add the baby; you have at least 30 days, but do it this week), your employer (about leave), and whoever will watch your other children. The rest of this page explains each, and maps the four NICUs in Utah County so you know what to ask.

This page is practical information, not medical advice. Your baby's neonatologist and nurses are the authority on your baby's care.

The four units

Utah Valley Hospital (1034 North 500 West, Provo). Intermountain's NICU page describes a team of neonatologists, neonatal nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, care managers and other specialists, and says the team works with families to meet each baby's needs. It does not give a level or bed count. The building, its entrances and parking are covered in our Utah Valley Hospital guide; read the parking section before your first long day.

Timpanogos Regional Hospital (750 West 800 North, Orem). MountainStar says the unit is Level III, cares for babies born as early as 24 weeks, and has neonatologists and nurses on the unit 24/7. Three details on its page are worth knowing as a parent:

• A camera system lets you look in on your baby from your phone at any time and receive updates.
• Journey maps track the milestones your baby needs to reach to go home, such as feeding and weight gain, adjusted for each baby.
• It is a locked unit. The hospital says it may limit the number of visitors to protect babies, and asks parents to talk with a nurse about the visiting guidelines.

Timpanogos also has chaplains available 24 hours a day for patients and families, according to its visitor page.

American Fork Hospital (170 North 1100 East). Intermountain lists a NICU on Level 2 of the hospital and an American Fork neonatology group. The level is not stated.

Mountain View Hospital (1000 East 100 North, Payson). MountainStar says the Level II unit opened in early 2021 for babies born at 32 weeks or later, including babies learning to eat and gain weight, babies on IV antibiotics and babies needing breathing support such as CPAP. A full-time neonatal nurse practitioner and pediatrician staff it with oversight from Timpanogos neonatologists, and babies who need a higher level go to Timpanogos. The hospital also says it admits infants who need additional care within 30 days of birth regardless of where they were born.

If you are still pregnant and know a NICU is likely, our birth centers vs hospitals guide compares the delivering hospitals by the care they have on site.

The first week: paperwork that cannot wait

Add the baby to your insurance. Federal special enrollment rules for group health plans give you at least 30 days after the birth to request enrollment, and coverage for a newborn must begin on the date of birth. NICU care bills under the baby's name, not yours, so a missed deadline lands on the most expensive part of the stay. If you are on Medicaid, the state says a baby born to a mother on Medicaid is covered through the month of the first birthday; call the Department of Workforce Services at 1-866-435-7414 to add the baby. Our WIC and Medicaid guide covers who qualifies.

Talk to the unit's case manager or social worker. Intermountain lists care managers on the Utah Valley NICU team. They are the people to ask about family lodging, meal programs, parking help and what to expect at discharge. We could not verify a Ronald McDonald family room in a Utah County hospital from an official source, so ask them directly.

Birth certificate and Social Security number usually start at the hospital. Our vital records guide covers ordering certified copies in Utah County.

Leave, for both parents

FMLA. Federal regulations (29 CFR 825.120) say both parents are entitled to FMLA leave to care for a child with a serious health condition, and spouses can each take 12 weeks for a newborn with a serious health condition even if they work for the same employer. That is different from ordinary bonding leave, where spouses at the same employer can be limited to 12 weeks combined. You are FMLA-eligible if you have worked for a covered employer for at least 12 months and 1,250 hours, at a site with 50 or more employees within 75 miles. FMLA leave is unpaid, but your employer must keep your group health coverage in place during it.

Utah state employees get paid leave under Utah Code 63A-17-511: up to six work weeks of postpartum recovery leave for the parent who gave birth and up to three work weeks of paid parental leave. Parental leave normally cannot be taken intermittently, but the statute makes an exception when a health care provider certifies that intermittent leave is medically necessary because of the child's serious health condition. That exception was written for families like yours. The details are in our new dad's guide.

Feeding a NICU baby

If you are pumping, the NICU nurses and the hospital's lactation consultants are your first resource. After discharge, Intermountain lists outpatient lactation clinics at American Fork, Orem Community and Spanish Fork hospitals, and the Utah County Health Department's breastfeeding warmline (801-851-7312, call or text) is free to anyone. Insurance must cover a breast pump. Details are in our lactation guide.

Timpanogos Regional runs a regional breast milk donation center to supply donor milk for premature babies. If you end up with more milk than your baby needs, you can call (801) 714-6605 about donating.

Brothers and sisters at home

Care for older children is the problem that breaks most families' NICU routines. Family Haven in Orem runs a free respite nursery for children from newborn through age 11. Families enroll, then call to schedule; appointments can be booked up to a week ahead, and the nursery is available 24/7 in emergencies. Family Haven lists the Orem nursery's regular hours as "M-Th 8-9; F 8-5; Sat 4-7." Call 801-229-1181.

For ongoing sitters, the babysitting guide covers how Provo families find and vet help, and the ward network is often the fastest source of meals and rides; our explainer on how LDS wards work is written for newcomers.

Looking after yourself

Utah's Maternal and Infant Health Program lists having a premature baby and a complicated or traumatic birth among the experiences that raise the risk of perinatal depression and anxiety, for either parent. That is not a prediction. It is a reason to keep the numbers close:

• 988 for any crisis, call or text.
• National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, 1-833-852-6262, 24/7.
• Utah Maternal Mental Health Referral Network, maternalmentalhealth.utah.gov, for therapists and groups trained in birth trauma.

Our postpartum mental health guide lists the Utah County groups and the public clinic.

Going home

Ask the unit early what discharge teaching it offers. Timpanogos says its journey maps include training family members to continue care at home. Two Utah County items to line up:

• A car seat check. The Utah County Health Department offers free checks by certified technicians; call 801-851-7513. Our car-seat guide covers Utah's law and the other check sites.
• A pediatrician who has seen NICU graduates. Our pediatrician guide covers what to ask.

Related Guides

• Birth Centers vs Hospitals in Utah Valley
• Utah Valley Hospital: The Complete Visitor and Patient Guide
• Lactation Consultants and Breastfeeding Support in Utah Valley
• Postpartum Mental Health in Utah Valley
• Twins and Multiples in Utah Valley

Abigail Giordano

Senior Writer

Abigail Giordano is a senior writer at Provo.com covering student life, family resources, and community events across Utah Valley. Her writing focuses on making Provo more accessible and navigable for newcomers, students, and families — the practical guides that help people feel at home faster.

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