The staff of the Union Hospital Maternity Center has started to settle in to their new surroundings as Phase 2 of the 22-month-long project is completed.  Following an April 2 public open house that gave nearly 700 visitors a tour of the new Maternity Center, nursing staff began moving in to the new nursing station and babies into the Nursery the next day.

Nine of the new private patient rooms are finished and ready for families to occupy and the new main entrance into the Maternity Center is finished is now in use.

One of the first babies to receive care

in the new Nursery is held by maternity

nurse Judy Ash, RN.

?We had great feedback from the public at our open house, and we are sure the new Center will meet with the approval of our patients,? says Carey Gardner, director of community relations.

?Families having babies here this week are the first to really use our new facilities including the Nursery,? Gardner says.  ?From all the positive comments received I think we?re making a Maternity Center that will serve the area?s families well for many years to come.?

Gardner says the next phases of the project will soon get underway.  Remaining work includes renovation of the other half of the department to create eight more private patient rooms, a second nursing station, two additional Labor, Delivery, and Recovery (LDR) suites, and expansion of a third LDR.  The project is expected to be completed by March of 2007.

In the meantime, members of the Union Hospital Board of Trustees are working to complete the fundraising effort for the Maternity project.  Gardner says nearly $2.6 million from hundreds of donors has been given or pledged to the campaign. 

?We have five donors who have agreed to sponsor an LDR suite at $25,000 each and seven donors who have agreed to sponsor one of the seventeen patient rooms at $10,000 each?, Gardner says.  ?Of course we announced just before the open house that the Union Hospital Auxiliary had made a $250,000 pledge to the campaign and is sponsoring the Nursery.? 

Gardner says gifts of $1,000 or more will be permanently recognized on engraved plaques in the new Maternity Center.  For more information about supporting the Maternity Center campaign, Gardner says to call his office at (330) 364-0806 or contact any Union Hospital Trustee.