New Sue Marie Turner Hospital opens at St Francis
The Stork Returns to St Francis Hospital!
After November 1, 2013, “drive-by” deliveries will be a thing of the past at St Francis Hospital. That’s when the state-of-the-art labor & delivery wing of the new Sue Marie Turner Women’s Hospital will open its doors to expectant mothers.
The $110 million expansion brings baby deliveries back to St Francis Hospital for the first time in more than 3 decades.
Due to its convenient location on a major highway, the hospital has had its share of expectant moms show up in the Emergency Room, causing “chaos and disorder” as staff scramble to assist delivery. “It’s easier to do a heart transplant in the waiting room.” said Dr Ben Cheek, Chief of OB/GYN.
Sleek New Facility
Oversized Labor & Delivery Suite
On the day of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, I had the pleasure of touring the new facility with Sandy Aoa, RN, as my personal guide.
Sandy gave me the scoop on the hospital’s vision of “Healthy Moms & Healthy Babies.” By the end of the tour, I found myself wanting to have another baby, just for the pleasure of delivering here!
Located on the second floor, the sleek new facility houses five oversized labor and delivery suites, with five additional suites ready for expansion. All rooms are fully equipped with surgical lights, baby warmers, oversized pullout sofas, flat screen TVs, luxury bathrooms, and WiFI hookups.
After delivery, mom and baby will be moved to one of 20 comfortable Mother and Baby suites for postpartum recovery. Slightly smaller than the L&D suites, the postpartum suites include nicer beds, WIFI hookups, flat screen TVs, and plenty of room.
In addition, two beautifully decorated Nesting suites have been set up for moms and dads whose insurance runs out before their babies can be dismissed from the hospital.
The waiting room outside the floor has a separate children’s area. For security purposes, visitors must show a picture ID to receive badge access to the floor. Laboring moms will be treated to valet parking, then taken to a separate 3-room triage area for assessment.
The main nursing station is equipped with four large flatscreen TVs to track fetal monitoring. Nurses will be able to see the progress of all deliveries at a glance. Plus, doctors will be equipped with special phones so they can monitor deliveries from anywhere in the hospital — even offsite. Two state-of-the-art operating suites are located directly across from the nursery for ease of access.
New Nursery
Additional features include:
- Full-time neonatal pediatrician on staff around-the-clock, should a baby need extra care
- All nursing staff are in training to become Certified Lactation Consultants
- Bedside services such as massages, manicures and pedicures will be provided in partnership with Sunday’s Ultimate Day Spa
- A new gift shop, The Butler Boutique, has items for new mothers and babies and the latest postpartum accessories, including breast pumps
- Full service newborn screenings
- Ventilators, oxygen monitors, labs and X-ray equipment for newborns
- Bella Baby Photography will handle all hospital baby portraiture
Breast-friendly Policies
Provided a newborn is healthy and there is no danger in postponing conventional procedures (like weighing, measuring, bathing, injections or blood tests), protocols are in place to encourage mother-baby bonding during the “Golden Hour” — the first hour immediately after birth.
The Butler Boutique gift shop
According to Aoa, the hospital will promote “skin-to-skin” contact, where a newborn is placed in direct contact with the mother until the first round of breastfeeding is established. Baby and mother will remain together throughout the recovery period. And parents will be encouraged to wait at least an hour before introducing their new baby to family and friends.
Even in cases where medical emergencies may change a family’s birth plan, Aoa says it is still possible to take advantage of bonding during the first few minutes after birth.
In addition, all nursing staff are in training to become Certified Lactation Consultants. Expectant parents can register for childbirth classes online or by calling 706.320.8001.
The Sue Marie Turner Womens Hospital at St Francis is also the home of the Elena Diaz-Verson Amos Center for Breast Health, St Francis OB/GYN Associates and St Francis OB/GyN Physician Partners.
