Kaiser Permanente Celebrates August With Stories of Excellence In Maternity Care

OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- More babies arrive in late summer and early fall than at any other time of the year, and Kaiser Permanente is celebrating those bundles of joy by sharing stories of its members as they expand their families. Kaiser Permanente's Care Stories blog (kp.org/carestories) presents three stories of members whose maternal journeys were made smoother thanks to the exceptional care they received. August's stories include:

• When Genna Harmon (http://www.kaiserpermanentecarestories.org/genna%E2%80%99s-letter-a-kaiser-permanente-member-thanks-doctors-for-saving-her-life/) went in for a checkup 38 weeks into her pregnancy, doctors discovered her amniotic fluid was low and immediately sent her to delivery. Genna's second daughter was born healthy, but the young mother lost a lot of blood during childbirth and was rushed into surgery. Kathleen Butt, MD, an OB/GYN at Kaiser Permanente Glenlake (Ga.) discovered Genna's uterus had inverted. When Genna learned her situation had necessitated an emergency hysterectomy, she just felt grateful to be alive. "The Kaiser doctors and medical team saved me. They will have my business for life."

• Marcy Pires (http://www.kaiserpermanentecarestories.org/kaiser-permanente-helps-marcy-pires-stay-connected-to-her-premature-baby/) was 23 weeks pregnant when her daughter, Ella, had to be delivered prematurely. Before Ella's birth, Marcy had planned to breastfeed her baby. The lactation consultant and nurses at Kaiser Permanente Fontana (Calif.) Medical Center helped Marcy realize that goal by providing her with the advice and encouragement she needed. Although only the nurses could initially handle Ella during her 110-day-long hospital stay, Pires said, "At least I got to feed her. Even if it wasn't directly, I was still providing for her."

• Milissa Mills (http://www.kaiserpermanentecarestories.org/kaiser-permanente-helps-first-time-mom-milissa-mills-transition-into-motherhood/) knew where to turn for advice when she became a parent for the first time in 2011. She felt "super confident" about Sharman Reed, MD, a Kaiser Permanente OB/GYN at Wheat Ridge (Colo.) Medical Offices, who had been her doctor for seven years. During pregnancy and after the birth of her son, Milissa sent Dr. Reed questions using Kaiser Permanente's secure email system. "Every time I got a fast response with the information I needed, which is really helpful," said Mills about Dr. Reed. "She always has solutions to my problems."

Launched in July 2011, Care Stories is a collection of first-person video narratives from Kaiser Permanente members talking about their own care in their own words, unscripted and uncompensated.

About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 9 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: kp.org/newscenter.

Contact: Farra Levin, Kaiser Permanente, 510-414-9246

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente