In November 2014, Jefferson Hospital opened a new state-of-the-art obstetrics unit as part of Allegheny Health Network’s patient-focused Women’s Health services. At a time when many medical facilities were closing doors, Jefferson Hospital’s investment in obstetrics significantly impacted the community; it was the first new labor and delivery unit in the Pittsburgh region in 34 years.
In less than three years, the obstetrics unit at Jefferson Hospital has become the premier birthing center for women in the South Hills and Monongahela Valley regions of Pittsburgh. Lead by Dr. David Logan, Jefferson Hospital’s obstetrics unit delivers more than 1000 babies annually. Without the need to travel into the city, women can stay in their community and get the excellent obstetric and newborn care they deserve in elegantly designed, comfortable, birthing center that provides the best of care with every modern accommodation.
When I toured the Women and Infants Center, I immediately noted a quiet, non-medical feel to the wing of the fourth floor even though the center was currently active with several women in various stages of labor. The labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum (LDRP) suites offer the comforts of home while incorporating expert care and every current technology. Concealed lights and equipment lend to the nonclinical ambiance, yet the LDRP suites enable a mother – and her partner – to remain comfortably in one room throughout each step of the birth experience.
Each LDRP suite is fully equipped with a birthing bed, bedside fetal monitoring equipment, medical gases, infant warmer, and equipment needed for infant resuscitation and stabilization. Centralized fetal monitoring provides constant surveillance of the mother and baby. In other words, the baby will be cared for right in the same room as the mother without ever needing to leave the quiet LDRP suite, allowing for ample immediate bonding time.
With beautiful finishes and furnishings including a dining area, glider, sofa/daybed and flat screen television, the expansive LDRP suites are a “home away from home” for the entire family. The suite’s spacious bathroom with mosaic glass tile back splash and patterned fabric shower curtain add details that help the suite feel more like a hotel than a hospital. The hospital lighting is softened by the natural light pouring in through the generous windows covered with soft window shades. There’s even a Jacuzzi to help alleviate labor pains.
The 23,000-square-foot Women and Infants Center at Jefferson Hospital includes a newborn nursery PLUS a Level II nursery for babies who need extra care. With views from the corridor to the sunny courtyard, the newborn and adjoining Level II nurseries are monitored by a centrally-located care team station. Thus, Jefferson Hospital provides all the trendy bells and whistles that mothers want, without sacrificing the level of care that Allegheny Health Network provides.
Adjacent to the Labor and Delivery suites are two dedicated C-Section operating rooms. This advanced sterile setting is equipped with the latest technology to facilitate the immediate needs of each patient.
Allegheny Health Network’s certified nurse-midwives offer comprehensive, quality care at Jefferson Hospital, including vaginal birth after a previous cesarean delivery (VBAC).
Other patient amenities and services at Jefferson Hospital include a triage unit, a postpartum unit, 24/7 obstetric anesthesia and newborn services, high-risk specialists, neonatologists, lactation services, room service dining and advanced security system.
Jefferson Hospital considered the entire family in designing the birthing center on the fourth floor. Mother-to-be (and her partner) will be comfortable in the hotel-like LDRP suites that each include a high definition TV, DVD, and wifi and adjustable lighting and temperature settings.
Older siblings have their own dedicated space in Austin’s Playroom directly attached to the Family Lounge. Games, toys, an aquarium, a train table, iPads, and flat screen TV provide hours of entertainment while adults can relax and keep an eye on the children’s activities.
After each delivery, mom’s partner gets to phone in the baby’s gender on one of two old fashioned decorative phones. The classical notes of Brahms’ Lullaby then plays through the speakers of the corridor, announcing baby’s arrival.
The central location at the intersection of two main corridors gives the care team maximum supervision of the labor and delivery suites, nurseries and the cesarean section rooms. This hub of staff operations has sophisticated patient monitoring systems paired with high-end finishes. The wide, spacious hallways boast colorful art pieces and newborn photographs.
For more photos of the birthing center at Jefferson Hospital, see the obstetrics unit’s video tour here.
565 Coal Valley Road
Jefferson Hills, PA 15205
In addition to Jefferson Hospital, Allegheny Health Network Women’s Health has over 110 OB/GYNs and more than 50 office locations. Plus three additional hospitals – Forbes, Saint Vincent and Est Penn have obstetrical services that deliver more than 5,000 babies annually. www.ahn.org/womens
— Carissa Howard, Pittsburgh Moms Blog
