Making it as nice as possible for babies and mom’s…

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It will still likely be a couple of weeks until the first baby will be born in “Maternity Place” at Broward Health’s Coral Springs Hospital. Our City Media got an early peak into the “next level of healthcare” at the hospital’s new state-of-the-art $65 million patient tower expansion. The focus of the expansion on the first and second floors is on providing the very best neonatal and maternity care available. The third floor expands Broward Health’s surgical capabilities with a big investment in robotic equipment that can dramatically streamline procedures and result in more speedy recovery, decreases in pain and loss of blood with less scaring and chance of infection. A fourth floor has yet to be built out and it will be developed based on the needs of the growing local community.

The big take away from the tour of the new maternity floors today was the tremendous attention given to creating a comfortable and pleasant experience for patients and those involved in their care and recovery. The first floor offers 12 private and spacious birthing suites that provide openness and natural light with floor to ceiling windows. They each have customizable interior lighting and temperature controls with extra space for family members. Dad’s even get a comfortable recliner to sleep in if they want to stay the night. The facility is also set up to allow water births. Private triage and recovery rooms are available along with three Cesarean section operating suites. The second floor provides 28 private and spa-like mother and baby post-partum rooms. Ten private Salah Foundation Children’s Hospital Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit rooms are just steps away from mom’s suite making this probably the best place in the world for those babies born weeks or even months too early.

With a clear focus on caring for early births – both baby and mother – we have Arlene Boykin, MD. She is a Neonatologist and Chair of the “Kids 2 Campaign” which has been the driving force helping to raise money for this expansion. This has been a development project of the Salah Foundation Children’s Hospital at Broward Health Coral Springs that has been providing the very best in area pediatric care (for those newborns as they get a little older). Dr. Boykin has a clear passion for providing a safe, welcoming environment for newborns to start their lives while making the new mother’s as comfortable as possible. The rooms offer patient and family privacy, less noise and allow mother’s to be in the same room with their baby even if the newborn needs to be in a temperature controlled NICU unit while it matures.

Dr. Boykin stressed in the tour today the importance the hospital places on promoting breast feeding for the early and long term health of the baby. While each room provides equipment for storing and warming breast milk, the focus is on encouraging breast feeding and helping mothers become comfortable with the process. Dr. Boykin stated, “The more skin to skin time and breastfeeding a small or sick baby participates in, the healthier the outcome for the baby.”

Healthy outcomes for baby and mother are what all the time, money and planning have been about. Coral Springs and the surrounding area should be very appreciative of all the talented and caring people who have made this new facility a reality. If you are interested in learning more about how YOU can help make a difference in the lives of these tiniest of patients, contact Megan Massacci at 954-712-6342 or mmassacci@browardhealth.org.