Area hospital gives birth to maternity unit improvements

Sue Vineyard, a registered nurse at Lakeside Memorial Hospital, tends to a two-day old baby boy in the new Birthing Unit at the hospital. Photo by Maggie Fitzgibbon.

Area hospital gives birth to maternity unit improvements

As you enter the new Birthing Unit at Lakeside Memorial Hospital in Brockport you are greeted with smiling faces. Photos of newborns line the hallways. In each photo, every new mother and father wears a smile.

Donna DuPont, director of nursing for obstetrical services at Lakeside Memorial Hospital, brimmed with excitement as she opened a door to a new birthing suite. “Each of the four suites is an all-inclusive birthing unit. A maternity patient labors and delivers her child in one of this suites. These suites are private, only one patient per suite and includes a bathroom with a whirlpool tub,” DuPont said. The suites are fully equipped with all of the medical equipment needed for delivery and even include CD and DVD players.

DuPont applauds the work of the staff at the unit. “The staff here have a great sense of teamwork; we all work together. The nurses gave input and helped to design and plan this unit,” she said. All of the suites are decorated in soothing colors of plum and lavender. Some of the rooms have rocking chairs decorated and donated by the students at Ginther Elementary School in Brockport.

DuPont has experienced many changes in her almost 40-year career at Lakeside. She started in 1967 as a registered nurse working part-time in the medical surgical unit. She began to work in the maternity unit in 1980 and most recently as the director of nursing for the new birthing unit. “I love patient care and here at the new unit I can still do hands-on patient care along with administrative work,” she said.

A native of the Netherlands, Dr. Robert Boon came to Lakeside Memorial Hospital in 1970 to teach as part of his assignment as an assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Rochester and Strong Memorial Hospital. “The physicians (at Lakeside) were interested and invited me to come instruct and give demonstrations,” said Boon. He was impressed with what he saw during his time at Lakeside and, “I decided that I needed a change and Lakeside provided me with patients,” Boon said.

In his over 35 years of practicing medicine at Lakeside, the physician has also seen many changes in the field of medicine and at Lakeside. “This new facility offers more convenience for the patient. The surroundings are what people want and it offers a more pleasant experience to have a baby,” said Boon.

He estimates that he has delivered over 7,000 babies and he recollects how times have changed. “When I started practicing medicine, a patient’s chart was two pieces of paper. Now it is over 200,” Boon said. The new Birthing Unit is part of the Lakeside Maternity Unit which is named in honor of this long-tenured doctor.

A commitment to the community
Kevin C. Nacy, chief executive officer of Lakeside Health System which operates Lakeside Memorial Hospital, hopes that this new birthing unit will let the community know of Lakeside’s commitment to the people. “At an open meeting in 2005, there was discussion about the possibility of closing our obstetrical services. The community voiced their opinion against this closing and the board reversed their decision,” he said. “A master plan was developed with obstetrics as the first phase of the capital improvement plan. Our doctors and nurses gave input and helped to plan this project,” said Nacy. The goal was to minimize construction while maximizing current space and a $1.8 million project began construction. The new unit opened in August with an open house that drew over 200 people. “We want people to know that we have good physicians to take care of the community,” he said.

As part of the hospital renovations, the building was expanded and so was the staff. New staff members, doctors and nurses, were hired as part of the opening of this new unit. Dr. Shawn Stephens is one of the newest doctors to this team.

Stephens came to Lakeside from Rochester General Hospital. “I wanted to stay in the area because I was born and raised here. I wanted a place to stay and grow my practice and take care of my patients. Lakeside offered all of this,” he said.

Stephens said he believes the continuity of care is a bonus that Lakeside offers to its patients. “I choose to practice here because we (doctors) all work together. I have assisted in surgery with general surgeons and can follow my patients even in surgery. Not all hospitals offer this type of care,” he explained.

While the main goal of the new birthing unit is to offer obstetrical care, Nacy said, Lakeside can offer a wide range of services for women. “We offer a complete women’s health package, including mammography, ultrasound and Dexascan,” he said. (A Dexascan is an x-ray exam used to detect osteoporosis and measure bone density in women and men.)

First baby boy
When Melissa Brown toured the new birthing unit on August 15, she hoped she would be able to deliver her baby there. Her due date was August 16. Her baby took his time entering the world; she didn’t go into labor until August 21. Brown entered Lakeside Hospital on August 21 and was put into the temporary Obstetrical (OB) Unit. “The moving process was going on as I was in labor,” she explained. All of the OB equipment from the temporary unit was being moved to the new birthing unit. “At around 3:30 p.m., I was moved to the new unit. I loved being there. The rooms are big, and very nice. The nurses were excited for me to deliver the first baby in the new unit,” said Brown. Her baby boy, Landon Parker Brown, was delivered by Caesarean section on August 22 at 1:14 a.m.

As many new mothers are, Brown was anxious about her delivery and she is grateful for the care that she received at the new birthing unit. “The nurses were great, Debbie and Sue, two of the nurses at the unit, stayed with me during the move and even went into the operating room with me,” she said.

Future Deliveries
Before the new unit opened, approximately 300 babies per year were delivered at Lakeside. Nacy anticipates many new mothers will take advantage of the services Lakeside can offer. “Our goal is to have 450 babies delivered here next year,” Nacy said.

Dr. Stephens has ambitious plans for the unit. “My goal is to physically expand the unit. I hope to draw 1,100 deliveries next year,” he said with a smile.