TAHLEQUAH — A new hospital under construction by the Cherokee Nation will double the current capacity of the older facility for labor and delivery services.
A topping-off party July 25 at the building site for the new W.W. Hastings Hospital celebrated the laying of the final steel beam, a milestone in construction of the state-of-the-art facility.
Hospital Administrator Cindy Martin said Hastings currently has five labor and triage rooms and 10 postpartum rooms.
“The new hospital will have four triage rooms, 10 labor rooms, 27 postpartum rooms and two [cesarian] section suites,” Martin said. “We will be circulating and scrubbing our own [cesarian] sections, as well as adding a Level II [Neonatal Intensive Care Unit] in a later phase.”
Beth Harp, executive medical director for Cherokee Nation Health Services, said Hastings now cares for patients throughout different stages of their pregnancies and postpartum periods.
“We triage and care for patients with pregnancy-related issues as early as 20 weeks,” Harp said. “We provide labor and delivery and [cesarean] section care, as well as postpartum and newborn care. [Cesarean] section recovery is completed by our staff in postpartum patient rooms.”
Mothers who need to be readmitted due to complications are cared for by certified nurse midwives, and pediatricians are available onsite 24/7, Harp said. Services by obstetricians and gynecologists are also available around the clock.
“We are able to care for well babies and those who may need a little extra support transitioning to the outside world,” Harp said. “We provide couplet care, which means baby and family stay together, as long as everyone is healthy.”
Jessica Lewandowski, Cherokee citizen, said she and her husband, Kyle Lewandowski, had a good labor and delivery experience at Hastings.
“The providers and nurses were all very compassionate and attentive, and I am grateful for the excellent care they provided for me and my son,” Jessica said.
Babies who need more care than Hastings has the capacity to handle are stabilized and attended to until a NICU team arrives and takes over, Harp said.
There are 35 registered nurses, two licensed practical nurses, one lactation consultant, three scrub techs, three nurse aides and one unit clerk, Martin said.
“We have midwives in-house 24/7, with OB physicians on-call [and an] in-house pediatric hospitalist 24/7,” Martin said.
Harp said education is a critical part of the care of mothers and babies, and multiple nurses are certified to provide education to staff. This prepares staff to handle emergencies related to mothers and newborns.
“We also have wonderful support staff in the hospital who are quick to jump in if their services are needed,” Harp said. “If there is a situation where we feel a baby might be born premature, we try to send the mom to a hospital with a NICU so they can stay together.”
When a new mother is not stable enough to transfer, Harp said, an NICU team transports the infant to a facility with higher levels of care.
“We do our best to get mom and baby back together as soon as safely possible,” Harp said.
For families who want their newborn sons circumcised, Hastings offers this service before the mother and baby are discharged, Harp said.
Breastfeeding and childbirth classes are offered twice a month.
“We also have our own international board-certified lactation consultant to assist all patients during their stay, as well as possible outpatient support after the family goes home,” Harp said. “These IBCLC services are available to all patients, not just those who qualify for [Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants].”
Gestational diabetes can occur in the first trimester of pregnancy, according to the Mayo Clinic’s website.
“Gestational diabetes causes high blood sugar that can affect your pregnancy and your baby’s health,” states the website.
“[Currently, Hastings] can provide support for babies with respiratory and blood sugar instability,” Harp said.
Lee Guthrie writes for the Tahlequah Daily Press.
link