Pictured: LVHN leadership, physicians, staff and government and community leaders cut the ribbon preparing for the soon-to-open Family Birth and Newborn Center at the Lehigh Valley Hospital Schuylkill-E. Norwegian St. campus in Pottsville.
Those of us who are parents may fondly remember a youngster asking, ‘Where do babies come from?’ Today, the answer to that question in Schuylkill County is the Family Birth and Newborn Center at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Schuylkill.” With those words, Thomas Hutchinson, MD, Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), joined with health network and hospital leaders, members of the medical community and others to cut the ribbon on the hospital’s newest arrival.
Crews have been working since early July, first entirely gutting the southern wing of the fourth floor of the hospital at the East Norwegian campus to get it ready for all new construction.
“There was quite a bit of “labor” involved to bring this new center to fruition,” says Susan Curry, MSN, RN, Vice President of Patient Care Services at LVH–Schuylkill. “It was a team effort, and the amazing results are quite evident.”
Featured highlights of the Family Birth and Newborn Center:
“We’ve achieved numerous milestones since our historic merger in September 2016, and we have more to do,” says Brian A. Nester, DO, MBA, FACOEP, President and Chief Executive Officer of LVHN. “Today’s progress is part of the commitment we made to create healthy tomorrows in Schuylkill County by investing in the services and programs people in this community need most. At LVHN, we believe that the health care services that can be delivered in a community hospital setting should be delivered there.”
The new Family Birth and Newborn Center at LVH–Schuylkill represents one of the remaining elements of an overall, multi-year campus integration which is designed to align service locations and improve access for those who seek care. Additional components of the campus integration are expected to be completed in February.
Services will begin on the new Family Birth and Newborn Center following all state inspections.
Featured highlights of the Family Birth and Newborn Center:
- 15,000 square feet, designed with comfort and accessibility in mind.
- Five labor delivery rooms
- Two obstetric triage rooms
- Only a few steps away, an OR suite is available right on the unit for cesarean sections.
- 9 post-partum rooms where moms receive care after delivery in a comfortable space designed for the whole family
- General nursery and isolation nursery
“We’ve achieved numerous milestones since our historic merger in September 2016, and we have more to do,” says Brian A. Nester, DO, MBA, FACOEP, President and Chief Executive Officer of LVHN. “Today’s progress is part of the commitment we made to create healthy tomorrows in Schuylkill County by investing in the services and programs people in this community need most. At LVHN, we believe that the health care services that can be delivered in a community hospital setting should be delivered there.”
The new Family Birth and Newborn Center at LVH–Schuylkill represents one of the remaining elements of an overall, multi-year campus integration which is designed to align service locations and improve access for those who seek care. Additional components of the campus integration are expected to be completed in February.
Services will begin on the new Family Birth and Newborn Center following all state inspections.