“Every patient wants something different, so the more we can offer here in Springfield to patients, the better the satisfaction and the better the quality we can have,” Osterholt said.
Osterholt said the midwifery program, which helps give women more individualized birthing experiences, was started in March 2022 for this reason.
Osterholt said having Ohio State Maternal Fetal Medicine specialists on site once a month alleviates the burden of traveling to Columbus for care for high-risk pregnant patients.
Mercy Health will also bring in a gynecology oncologist “in the very near future” to see Springfield patients, Osterholt said.
Ben Merick, vice president of operations, said having pregnant patients who need acute care go to the family birthing center allows providers to give care in “a much more intimate, welcoming environment.”
“For moms and soon-to-be first-time moms, the ED can be a pretty intense environment; there’s all sorts of stuff going on in an emergency department,” Merick said.
Osterholt said with wireless monitoring of vitals for the mother and unborn baby, more birthing options become available for patients.
“Not everybody wants to lay flat in bed; they want to move, they want to be in a rocking chair, they want to be on a birthing ball,” Osterholt said. “So those types of things allow us to offer those services.”
The hospital also offers classes on childbirth, breastfeeding and more parenting-related tasks. Parents-to-be can start these classes whenever they’d like, but usually start them in the mid-to-late second trimester, Osterholt said.
Osterholt said the classes help prepare new parents for a significant life change.
“My kids will be 21 this summer, and I was an attending obstetrician for three years before they were delivered, and I was still clueless when they came home,” Osterholt said. “Any education you can have for everyone is very important.”
The hospital also has a level II special care nursery for premature babies born at 32 weeks or later, with neonatologists, nutritionists and specialized nurses to care for the baby until they can go home, Osterholt said. He said having these specialists on site vastly improves the level of care these babies receive.
Merick said Dr. Kelly Kirk, an OBGYN who has robotic surgery experience, will join Osterholt in his work in the fall to further expand women’s healthcare in Springfield and the surrounding communities.
According to a media release, Kirk will help the hospital expand on services such as minimally invasive surgery, ultrasound and vaginal rejuvenation, that may help women having issues like pelvic pain, infertility and menopause.
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