A Healthy Start

How Baxter Health Women & Newborn Care Center promotes lifelong health for mothers and babies

Getting new mothers and their babies off to a great start is the goal of Baxter Health Women & Newborn Care Center. The department takes the subject of healthcare among expectant mothers beyond reproductive issues to address a far wider spectrum of health and wellness, including developing the kind of healthy habits that benefit both mother and baby.

The renovated center, which opened in December 2013, offers the latest technology focusing on patient-centered care. The unit features 10 state-of-the-art labor and delivery rooms, renovated postpartum rooms, two new triage exam rooms as well as a larger, completely renovated nursery, a new nurse call system and a fetal monitoring system.

Amy Myers, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, worked for the Women & Newborn Care Center for 23 years as a staff nurse, patient and staff educator, and charge nurse before moving into the director’s position last year. She said the level of expertise and medical technology on hand for patients goes well beyond what’s usually offered by hospitals of comparable size.

“Many smaller hospitals across the nation have closed maternity departments. We are here to serve the women of this area and provide services for families throughout our 12-country service area. We want to provide these services close to home, so women don’t have to travel as far to have their healthcare needs met.

With more than 700 deliveries per year, the center delivers top-quality care year-round, thanks to the expertise of three delivery doctors — Dr. Harley Barrow, Dr. Maureen Flowers and Dr. Ken Holt —and three staff pediatricians, including Dr. Michael Adkins, Dr. Samantha Shipman and Dr. Shayna Wood.

“Our Level 2 nursey provides care to well newborns, as well as moderately ill babies with an anticipated rapid recovery. Critically ill newborns requiring multiple subspecialty care, have an anticipated lengthy recovery, or are less than 34 weeks gestation are usually transferred to a Level 3 NICU in Little Rock or Springfield. If they're past 34 weeks, we can provide comprehensive care with treatments and procedures including respiratory care, fluid and nutritional support, and treatments for hyperbilirubinemia and infection. We provide high-quality, compassionate care locally, so our families do not have to travel long distances for these services.”

The center plays a key role in women’s health in an era of changing philosophies in healthcare. Until recently, women’s healthcare research predominantly focused on a very narrow segment of pregnancy, labor and delivery, and reproductive issues while largely ignoring other critical areas. As this thinking has changed, much more attention is being placed on specific health issues affecting women, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and osteoporosis.

In addition, women are taking more responsibility for their own health and health education and becoming active managers of their own wellness in partnership with their physicians. This heightened awareness of disease prevention and healthy lifestyle choices has led to women living longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives.

Baxter Health Women & Newborn Care Center reflects this more comprehensive service model to include more services affecting women’s health.

“We’re a very versatile unit,” Myers said. “We provide care to pregnant women and to laboring and postpartum women as well as newborns. We do gynecologic care also, but our real focus is maternity, labor and delivery and then taking care of the mother and baby afterward.”

The center also enjoys the support of a number of volunteers, such as Donna Caruthers, a retired school secretary who crochets hats for all the newborns (see related story on page 21). Myers said small added touches such as this help contribute to the center’s overall environment and commitment to serving the whole person — mind, body and spirit.

“Donna, our Hat Lady, is just one of the people who donate their time and energy to support our families,” Myers said. “The hats are crucial to keeping the newborns warm, and they’re also adorable. The look on new parents’ faces when they see that handmade hat that they can take home with them is priceless. It’s really a special feeling to know a volunteer put that kind of love and effort into a total stranger’s family.”