Family BirthPlace, Level III NICU celebrates five years and counting

When it comes to Saint Francis Medical Center's Family BirthPlace, you might say, "It's come a long way, baby!" When it opened its doors in 2001, Saint Francis had not delivered a baby in more than four decades. After just five years, the Medical Center annually welcomes hundreds of babies into the world. "Our first year we delivered 300 babies," said Jack Malizzi, director of maternal and child health services at the Family BirthPlace. "This year we are on track to deliver almost twice as many, 580 to 600."

Parents are choosing Saint Francis for the birth of their children for several reasons. "We offer family-centered, comfortable surroundings to make the birthing experience more enjoyable for everyone," Malizzi said. "Parents who previously delivered elsewhere tell us they prefer the personalized care they get at Saint Francis." The eight new labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum suites and the spacious, homey surroundings also add to positive experiences for families.

The newly expanded Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is another reason parents choose Saint Francis. Treating more than 700 patients since its inception in 2001, the 25-bed Level III NICU (the first one established in the region) is staffed by board-certified, fellowship-trained neonatologists and trained specialists to care for premature and critically ill newborns.

"The larger unit allows us to provide more family-centered developmental care," explained Dr. Lynne D. Willett, FAAP, neonatologist on staff at Saint Francis. "We have recruited specialists in neonatal care to the Medical Center who can provide a full complement of services to our tiniest and most fragile patients. For example, our developmental team includes a neonatal physical therapist, feeding specialists and neonatal occupational therapist."

The Level III NICU monitors its outcomes by participating in an international network of more than 500 NICUs called the Vermont Oxford Network (VON). Saint Francis benchmarks itself against other NICUs in the network and has access to research and information to continually improve the care and treatment in the Level III NICU. As a result, the Saint Francis Level III NICU has decreased the average number of days babies spend in the NICU, reduced complication rates and improved survival rates.

For more information on the Family BirthPlace and the Level III NICU at Saint Francis, visit www.sfmc.net or call (877) 231-BABY.

Saint Francis Medical Center is a 254-bed facility serving more than 450,000 people throughout Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas. Guided by its mission to provide a ministry of healing and wellness inspired by our Christian philosophy and values, the Medical Center has become a progressive, innovative regional tertiary care referral center doubling in size in the last five years to best accommodate the health-care needs of those it serves. Saint Francis' major service lines, which have received a variety of national recognitions, include the Neurosciences Institute; Thomas G. Otto, MD, Orthopaedic Institute; Family BirthPlace featuring the region's first Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; Heart Institute; Gene E. Huckstep Emergency Center/Level III Trauma Center with Convenient Care; Cancer Institute; Rehabilitation Services; and Fitness Plus.