FARIBAULT, Minn. (Sept. 27, 2019) — When something unexpected happens to your baby, it feels like the world should come to a standstill. You want every person, every resource and every tool possible to care for your newborn. Thanks to a new partnership with Children’s Minnesota, one of the largest and most regarded pediatric health systems in the country, District One Hospital, part of Allina Health, can now deliver more resources and expertise than ever before when caring for newborns.
Through a new virtual care partnership, physicians at District One now have enhanced 24/7 access to Children’s neonatal care specialists. Using audio/video technology, District One physicians can hold a virtual consultation with a neonatal clinician from Children’s Minnesota. From there, clinicians from both systems collaborate on the care management of newborns requiring acute stabilization after birth and determine whether the baby needs to be transferred another facility for further care.
When deemed appropriate, the District One physician places a call to Children’s Minnesota and requests a virtual consultation. Within minutes, a neonatal specialist from Children’s will connect via an audio/ video conference with the District One provider and care team. There is no extra cost to the patient’s family.
For District One Hospital physicians, the virtual care partnership is a way to better serve area families. “This virtual care relationship between Children’s and District One Hospital provides an enhanced level of safety for newborn care at the hospital. By allowing the Children’s neonatal specialists to actually see the baby, we’re confident that we’ll be able to keep and serve more families here, in their own community,” said Sherri Angell, RN, manager of District One Hospital’s Family Birthing Center. “We take excellent care of these babies and will send them to another facility for even more specialized care if necessary.”
Partnerships like these also support Children’s vision to be every family’s essential partner in raising healthier children. “Our vision pertains to all infants – not just the ones who are born in our Mother Baby Centers,” said Dr. Mark Bergeron Virtual Care physician lead for Children’s Minnesota neonatology department. “For newborns that live farther away and who need additional services, the virtual health partnership lets us export our expertise and care to places we couldn’t otherwise reach. Virtual care is an excellent way to help improve access to specialized care throughout the region.”
Why District One Hospital?
Children’s Minnesota seeks partners who are enthusiastic about improving patient care and who have a strong belief that a virtual partnership will benefit their community. It found both qualities in District One Hospital, part of Allina Health.
“The enthusiasm and support of the District One Hospital clinical and leadership teams has been outstanding,” noted Judy Wenzel, Telehealth director at Children’s Minnesota. “They are dedicated to providing the best quality of care to children in their community, a value that District One Hospital and Children’s shares.”
The virtual care partnership is sure to be an outstanding and helpful resource for area patients; one that improves the overall experience of families at Faribault. We are committed to ensuring the success of this service to newborn patients. “Whether a newborn needs to be transferred to a higher level NICU or we are able to continue care at District One, we are focused on ensuring best practices are in place to provide the safest care possible,” said Angell. “Our ability to continue care close to home is valued by our patients and this program will help us continue to offer that experience for our patients and families.”
About the District One Hospital Birth Center
The Birth Center includes a triage room and 8 large, private suites furnished not only with the equipment necessary to provide a safe delivery, recovery and postpartum care, but amenities to help you and your family feel comfortable. With our one-room approach, all stages of childbirth occur in the same private room, offering an efficient approach that greatly benefits our mothers and her families. The family-friendly suites include a sleeper sofa for mom’s support person, television, CD player, free Wi-Fi, portable iPad with videos for patient education and a full bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub and robe. We have full-service menu options and a one-time “pizza party or celebration meal” with your support person in the privacy of your room to celebrate your new addition.
To help you feel comfortable all the way through your birthing experience, the Birth Center offers birthing balls, aromatherapy, music, telemetry monitoring so you can still walk in your room or hallways and coming soon nitrous oxide to help with pain relief.
Other amenities include:
• Vaginal Birth after a cesarean delivery option
• Lactation consultations and “Baby Stop” class
• Free Prenatal classes on labor and delivery options, relaxations, breathing and comfort techniques, the role of your partner, use and choice of medications and medical procedures, Cesarean birth, recovery, hospital stay and more
• Free Lactation classes
• Visit from a Public Health nurse while in the hospital
“We are proud of the care we provide here in Faribault, and appreciate the support of Children’s Hospital in that effort. We have always had access to phone consults with the neonatal team at Children’s, but having them on video is like having the neonatal specialist in the room while we are caring for a sick baby,” notes Dr. Amy Elliott, District One Hospital director of medical affairs, and an Allina family physician. “Our doctors work in Faribault because we care about this community, and the health of its families, and because we know the doctors and nurses here are highly skilled and share our commitment.”Allina Health is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of illness and enhancing the greater health of individuals, families and communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. A not-for-profit health care system, Allina Health cares for patients from beginning to end-of-life through its 90+ clinics, 10 hospitals / 13 campuses, 15 retail pharmacies, and many specialty care centers and specialty medical services, home care, and emergency medical transportation services.