The Mother Baby Center Welcomes First New Baby

MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota today announced the arrival of baby Gemma as The Mother Baby Center's first new baby. Born Feb. 4 at 11:20 a.m. by water birth, Gemma was 7 pounds, 6 ounces and 21 inches long. Gemma was joined by 10 other babies, all born during The Mother Baby Center's grand opening day.

In addition, Children's and Abbott Northwestern moved all of the babies and mothers from the old facility at Abbott Northwestern into new rooms at The Mother Baby Center. With the support of clinical staff, hospital leadership and specialized moving planners, many of these patients were moved via the quarter-mile underground tunnel from Abbott Northwestern to The Mother Baby Center.

Abbott Northwestern Hospital, part of Allina Health and home to Minnesota's largest obstetrical center, and Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, which features the largest neonatal program in the region, opened The Mother Baby Center on Monday, Feb. 4. The Center is the only birth center of its kind in Minnesota and one of only a few in the country. The facility has capacity for 5,000 births each year and offers a comprehensive approach to care, beginning at prenatal care and continuing through obstetrics, perinatology, labor and delivery, neonatology and pediatrics.

"After years of successful collaboration, Children's and Abbott Northwestern are thrilled to combine our expertise into one state-of-the-art facility, and even more excited to join in the celebration with the moms and families who welcomed their new babies during The Mother Baby Center's grand opening day," said Alan L. Goldbloom, MD, president and chief executive officer of Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.

The Center brings the expertise of Minnesota's premier birthing center and NICU under one roof. The new Center is designed to provide an exceptional family experience for all moms and babies, as well as improve outcomes for mothers and babies in high-risk pregnancies and pre-term births. Services and specialties available at The Mother Baby Center include maternal assessment; labor and delivery; ante-partum and post-partum units; newborn and Special Care Nurseries; and the NICU.

"We are thrilled to welcome new lives to this world in the healing environment of The Mother Baby Center—offering everything from a natural birth to the highest level of specialty care for families. Now we truly have a beautiful place to go along with the incredible expertise and compassion of our doctors, midwives, and nurses," said Penny Wheeler, MD, chief clinical officer of Allina Health and a practicing obstetrician.

Photos are available upon request. The following b-roll is also available:

• First baby who moved into The Mother Baby Center from Abbott Northwestern: http://vimeo.com/58943387
• Last infant born at Abbott Northwestern Hospital before moving to The Mother Baby Center: http://vimeo.com/58943388.

For more information about The Mother Baby Center, visit themotherbabycenter.org.

About Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
Serving as Minnesota's children's hospital since 1924, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota is one of the largest pediatric health care organizations in the United States, with 381 staffed beds at its two hospitals in St. Paul and Minneapolis. An independent, not-for-profit health care system, Children's of Minnesota provides care through more than 12,000 inpatient visits and more than 200,000 emergency room and other outpatient visits every year. Children's is the only Minnesota hospital system to provide comprehensive care exclusively to children. Please visit childrensMN.org.

About Allina Health
Allina Health (formerly Allina Hospitals & Clinics) is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of illness and enhancing the greater health of individuals, families and communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Allina Health cares for patients from beginning to end-of-life through its 90+ clinics, 11 hospitals, 15 pharmacies, specialty care centers and specialty medical services that provide hospice care, oxygen and home medical equipment, and emergency medical services. Learn more at allinahealth.org.

SOURCE Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota