PREMIEre Program

The PREMIEre Program at University Health helps babies who were born early, had serious health problems or currently have birth conditions that affect how they grow and learn.

Every baby is different — we’re here to support each family along the way.

What to Expect

Throughout our program, we monitor how your baby is growing, learning and developing between the ages of 0 months to 3 years old. Our team will check on the following:

• Nutrition
• Speech
• Movement
• Behavior

For babies with the most needs, we also check on their school readiness up to the age of 5. 

Our Team

Our PREMIEre Program team includes a child psychologist, nurses, nurse practitioners and a neonatologist, which is a doctor who specializes in newborn care.

You can expect a patient-centered approach from our team, which means our specialists will work with you to create a care plan that works best your child and their development. In some cases, your care plan may include therapy or other services.

We believe that helping families understand their child’s development is key.

PREMIEre Program Goals

We don’t just give medical advice — we help parents learn how to support their child at home, which aligns with our program goals.

• Give special care to babies born before 33 weeks, under 3.5 pounds, or with brain or birth problems.
• Start teaching families early — even before the baby leaves the NICU — so they’re ready to help their baby at home.
• Perform check-ups that match your child’s age to see what they’re good at and where they may need help.
• Support the whole family, because a healthy, involved caregiver is important for the child’s success.
• Conduct research and share knowledge to help high-risk babies grow and develop better.

Resources for Parents

Whether you receive care from us or not, we’ve compiled a list of resources dedicated to helping parents with newborns.

• Any Baby Can
• Autism Community Network
• Head Start
• Hope for Hie
• WIC
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Texas Diaper Bank
• Texas Health and Human Services Early Childhood Intervention
• The Children’s Rehabilitation Institute TeletonUSA
• Medicaid Transportation
• Morgan’s Multi-Assistance Center

You can find other community resources related to newborn care through our Institute for Public Health.