Brookwood Baptist Health offers OB Emergency Department

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kate Darden 
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
205-715-5196
[email protected]

Birmingham, AL – August 14, 2017 – Brookwood Baptist Medical Center is partnering with OB Hospitalist Group (OBHG) to offer an OB Emergency Department and OB hospitalist program, where expectant mothers are ensured to be evaluated and treated by a physician regardless of time, location, complication or circumstance. These physicians are on site 24-7 at Brookwood Baptist Medical Center in order to support community OB/GYNs and provide coverage as requested by them. This service benefits physicians dividing their time between office and hospital, and also ensures that pregnant and laboring women have access to an experienced obstetrician at all times.

"So much preparation goes into planning your pregnancy, but births and emergencies can be unpredictable," says Amy Beard, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Vice President of Women’s Services for Brookwood Baptist Health. “We are pleased to offer our patients peace of mind knowing they'll receive immediate, specialized care no matter when they arrive at Brookwood Baptist Medical Center."

The OB/GYN hospitalists provide enhanced coverage and a critical safety net to OB/GYNs in the community, during emergencies or when OB/GYNs are not physically present in the hospital. The movement toward hospitalist medicine improves access to specialist care and enhances patient safety and outcomes. The Women’s Center at Brookwood Baptist Medical Center’s OB Hospitalist Program began in May, 2017.

“I was so impressed with the level of efficiency and professionalism displayed by each person that I came in contact with throughout my visit in the OB Emergency Department. I was thankful that there was a special place for expecting women that was separate from the main ER,” says Courtney Farley, recent patient of the Brookwood OB Emergency Department. “I felt cared for and safe. I believe that this is a service that takes Brookwood’s commitment to expecting mothers to the next level. I am grateful above all that my little one is safe, and I received my peace of mind because of this experience.”

"Hospital-based OB/GYN physicians narrow the focus of their practice to hospital medicine to provide women in labor with prompt and efficient, round-the-clock care," said Chris Swain, M.D., and Medical Director for the OB Hospitalist Group. "We work with the community OB/GYNs and will provide coverage as requested by them to enhance continuity of care for pregnant mothers and their infants. The program underscores Brookwood Baptist Medical Center’s commitment to quality in their maternal care program.”

OB Hospitalist Group, LLC is a nationwide specialist in the development, staffing, and management of hospital-based OB/GYN practices. The board-certified OB/GYN physicians of the OB Hospitalist Group will provide 24/7 in-house coverage of the OB Emergency Department at Brookwood Baptist Medical Center. The continuous availability of on-­‐site hospitalists increases communication with patients and can improve patient and family satisfaction. 

According to the Society of Hospitalist Medicine, approximately half of U.S. hospitals currently employ hospitalists in different subspecialties, a growing trend in healthcare aimed at providing expertise at the hospital and improving safety and quality of patient care. The number of hospitalists in the U.S. has nearly doubled in the past three years, increasing from 8,000 hospitalists in 2003 to 15,000 hospitalists in 2005, a number that is expected to double again in the next decade.

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