PHOENIX — Construction is underway on a $14 million neonatal unit expansion project on the Abrazo Arrowhead Campus in Glendale, officials announced.

The NICU at Abrazo Arrowhead Campus, located in Glendale near 76th Avenue and Union Hills Drive, will increase its unit from 21 to 35 beds following the 8,500-square-foot expansions, Abrazo Health said in  a press release.

“The expansion will allow our providers and caregivers to offer an even higher level and care for babies of all gestational ages after the new unit is certified by the state,” CEO Stephen Garner said in the release.

The project, which is being built adjacent to the existing Level IIIA perinatal care center, is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

While the hospital is certified to care for premature infants at 28 weeks gestation, work is being done to obtain certification as a higher Level IIIB NICU, which would allow the hospital the ability to provide complex care for babies of any gestational age.

“Abrazo Arrowhead provides outstanding care for high-risk mothers, and this significant investment will continue to advance the hospital’s ability to deliver excellent quality care and outcomes for our patients,” Dr. Ravi Gunatilake, medical director of maternal fetal medicine, said in the release.

The hospital is also working to improve its clinical services in addition to women’s care, including general surgery and orthopedics.

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