September 10, 2011, will mark a decade of operation for Saint Francis Medical Center’s Family BirthPlace and Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Employees, former patients and their families will celebrate this milestone with a birthday-themed Level III NICU reunion party on Saturday, September 10 from 11 am to 1 pm in the Fitness Plus parking lot, 150 S. Mount Auburn Road.
Families touched by the Level III NICU over the past 10 years are invited to attend the special celebration featuring food, games, inflatables and the opportunity to catch up with other NICU friends and families. Registration is required by calling 573-331-5877.
Throughout the month, Family BirthPlace and Level III NICU employees will wear special birthday scrubs and all babies born in September will receive a commemorative onesie. Even the popular baby billboard on William Street will wear a birthday hat to celebrate the occasion.
Since opening in 2001 – after 35 years without obstetric services at Saint Francis – the number of deliveries at the Family BirthPlace has grown each year. The department’s 874 births in 2010 represented a 16 percent increase over the previous record of 752 set in 2009, and an 82 percent increase over the 481 births recorded in 2005. For 2011, the Family BirthPlace is on track to again have a record-breaking number of deliveries.
The Family BirthPlace’s modern design, advanced technologies and unparalleled obstetric care have turned it into the birthing center of choice in Southeast Missouri. New mothers take great comfort in knowing the facility includes a Level III NICU with three full-time board-certified neonatologists.
“Before our Level III NICU opened in 2001, there was no comparable facility for critically ill, extremely premature infants in Cape Girardeau,” says Cathy Abrams, RN, BSN, MS, director for maternal and child health services at Saint Francis. “Doctors needed to transfer babies to St. Louis, which was traumatic for the sick babies and difficult for the parents to be so far away. Offering such high-level neonatal care right here in Cape Girardeau is convenient for families.”
The Family BirthPlace has 16 private patient rooms — the largest patient rooms in the region — and a triage area. Other mom-approved amenities include private bathrooms, private whirlpools or showers, TV and DVD players, specially designed beds, daily quiet time to promote mother-baby bonding, ample space for family members and overnight stays, celebratory brunch prior to discharge and gift baskets for moms.
“We have worked hard to create a family-centered environment,” says Jeannie Fadler, vice president of patient care services at Saint Francis. “That focus on families – as well as our commitment to evidence-based care for women and infants during delivery – is what has helped us grow to be a market leader in obstetrical care.”
For more information, visit www.sfmc.net or call Saint Francis at 573-331-5877.
September 10, 2011, marks a decade of operation for Saint Francis Medical Center’s Family BirthPlace and Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).