Dominican Hospital Launches First In-House 24/7 Obstetrics Program in Santa Cruz County

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Jun 14, 2017, 15:31 ET

SANTA CRUZ, Calif., June 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dignity Health Dominican Hospital is now the only hospital in Santa Cruz County to provide in-house obstetrics physician coverage around the clock. Through a partnership with OB Hospitalist Group, Dominican welcomes six board certified OB/GYN hospitalists who will be available 24/7 to support the obstetrician on-call.

Dominican joins a growing number of hospitals nationwide employing an OB/GYN hospitalist model to supplement physician hours and enhance access to care for patients.

Members of the Dominican Hospital Birth Center and OB Hospitalist Group teams, pictured here at the launch of the program, will work closely to provide 24/7 in-house OB/GYN care.

"No matter how much we plan, births and emergencies can be unpredictable," said Dominican Hospital President Nanette Mickiewicz, MD. "We are pleased to offer patients peace of mind knowing they'll receive immediate, specialized care no matter when they arrive at Dominican's Birth Center."

The benefits of having an OB/GYN hospitalist always onsite are substantial, as these physicians have specialized training and skills to treat pre-, peri-, and postnatal emergencies immediately. The OB/GYN hospitalists will also provide coverage while the obstetrician on call is in transit to the hospital, and will care for patients who don't have an assigned OB/GYN.

Dominican's home-like Birth Center offers patients a full service, state-of-the-art, individualized birth experience with the safety of a full-service hospital, including an onsite Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Dominican also offers prenatal and postpartum classes to help guide and prepare families for pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and parenthood. As a designated Baby Friendly hospital, Dominican prioritizes breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact, and provides the support and education needed for a successful breastfeeding journey. Tours of the Dominican Hospital Birth Center are available each Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. To schedule a tour, call 866.478.2613.

About Dominican Hospital

Dignity Health Dominican Hospital has been caring for the Santa Cruz County community for 75 years. Dominican offers emergency services and is a Certified Stroke Center. Dominican's services include the only comprehensive Cancer Center in Santa Cruz County, a Total Joint Replacement program, advanced neurological and endoscopic services, and an expert heart and vascular team treating some of the most complex cardiac cases in the Monterey Bay area. Dominican has received national recognition for superior patient safety, cardiac care, and stroke treatment from Healthgrades, a leading provider of comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. Dominican also has received several awards for environmental excellence. To learn more, please visit our website: dignityhealth.org/dominican.