New practices in the transitional care center improve outcomes for babies and their families.

Assuming sole responsibility of parenting a high-risk infant after a prolonged hospital stay can be a complex and traumatic event, especially when the infant is discharged with residual health care problems requiring medical management and treatment at home. A parent's ability to successfully transition the management of their infant's care from hospital to home depends on a collaborative discharge process where parents are ongoing, full participants. The Transitional Care Center environment makes learning comfortable for parents, allows parental care-giver mastery to occur, and fosters family integration. Favorable clinical outcomes concurrent with decreased lengths of hospital stays and readmission rates have been demonstrated.