02/10/2026
NEWS BLAST: RUMC Receives $2 Million in Federal Funding for its Wayne Zenna Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Richmond University Medical Center has been awarded $2 million in federal funding to support the renovation of its Wayne Zenna Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The funding – secured through the support of U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand – was included in the Fiscal Year 2026 federal funding package signed into law last week. The senators personally secured the funding as part of congressionally directed spending.
“We are deeply grateful to Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand for championing this funding,” RUMC President and Chief Executive Officer Daniel J. Messina, PhD, MPA, FACHE, said. “This investment will transform the care environment for our smallest and most vulnerable patients. It strengthens our mission to provide exceptional, compassionate care to the Staten Island community and represents a significant step forward in improving health outcomes for newborns and their families.”
The NICU at RUMC is currently undergoing an extensive renovation designed to meet the increasing need for its services. The $5.6 million project will expand the existing footprint of the 5,600 sq. ft. unit and includes 18 new private care bays, a renovated nursing station, a fully equipped isolation room, and a new, more spacious waiting area for families. The project is anticipated to be completed by later this year or in early 2027.
“Richmond University Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit serves one of the highest-risk newborn populations in the U.S., and the modernization of the NICU will help the incredible RUMC staff provide more efficient, comfortable care for vulnerable newborns and families,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. “I’m proud to deliver this $2 million federal investment that will bolster RUMC’s quality of care and support their critical, lifesaving work, and help meet the healthcare needs of Staten Islanders.”
RUMC’s Level III Wayne Zenna NICU serves one of the highest-risk newborn populations in the United States, with a significantly higher percentage of low-birthweight babies, compared to the national average. The $2 million federal investment will support the capital enhancements underway.
“Richmond University Medical Center’s neonatologists, nurses, physician assistants, respiratory therapists, and experts provide life-saving care to thousands of premature and critically ill infants in Staten Island,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I am proud to have secured $2 million to support the comprehensive renovation of their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which will elevate the quality of care for low-birthweight newborns and provide a supportive, healing environment for their families and RUMC’s medical staff.”
RUMC’s Wayne Zenna Neonatal Intensive Care Unit has one of the highest survival rates in the country at 997 newborns out over every 1,000 admitted to the NICU. As a certified Level III NICU, RUMC provides comprehensive critical care for premature newborns, including those born before 32 weeks gestation and/or with complex medical and surgical conditions. The unit’s neonatologists have cared for and “graduated” NICU infants weighing as little as 1 pound. The unit has a full range of pediatric medical subspecialists, advanced respiratory support equipment, the capabilities to perform minor procedures, and innovative imaging services.
“On behalf of the Wayne Zenna Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the families we serve, I want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Senator Gillibrand and Senator Schumer for helping secure this critical funding,” said Santosh Parob, MD, Chief of Neonatology at RUMC. “This support allows us to modernize our NICU and create a more comforting, family-centered environment during incredibly challenging times. Because of this advocacy, we will be able to deliver even higher-quality care to the infants and families who need it most.”
For more info on our NICU: https://bit.ly/4s1RH7t
