A $ 5 million renovation underway at FirstHealth’s Moore Regional Hospital will increase the number of maternity, labor and delivery triage rooms. This will also top off the space in what is essentially an exploding landlocked department.
“Over the past six years, we have dramatically increased the number of deliveries,” said Beth Tabor, Executive Director of Women and Children’s Services. “Each month is a little more. In 2020, we saw 2,278 deliveries and we will exceed that number this year. We’re actually approaching nearly 2,300 babies, so this renovation is a good time. “
Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst was originally built with a maternity ward to accommodate approximately 1,800 deliveries per year. The hospital houses the Clarke Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and provides high-risk pregnancy services for surrounding patients, including multiple gestational deliveries and babies who are delivered at 28 weeks.
The renovation will increase the number of triage rooms from six to 10, and labor and delivery rooms from six to nine by reallocating some rooms, conference spaces and offices. Two of the newer spaces are designed as seclusion rooms.
But the extension is a temporary solution. Early planning will begin soon for a new dedicated facility to meet the growing demand for maternity services. “A tower is in the facilities master plan,” Tabor said, “we anticipate that could happen in the next three to five years.”
The increase in deliveries reflects the gravitational pull of FirstHealth’s flagship facility. There are also more young families living in the area due to the changes in the Base Realignment and Closure Commission that began to ramp up in 2008, as well as a greater number of professionals in the field. remote telecommuting and more new businesses setting up locally.
In 2014, FirstHealth also closed its labor and delivery services at Richmond Memorial Hospital. These services and patients were redirected to Pinehurst.
“We are really very lucky to have such a good hospital here locally,” said Sarah McClamroch, practice director at the Southern Pines Women’s Health Center, noting that they have expanded their staff this summer with the addition of a nurse. practitioner and a new obstetrician / gynecologist. to answer the question.
The practice is a partner clinic with FirstHealth with offices in Raeford, Rockingham and Sanford. “A lot of (pregnant women) know FirstHealth’s reputation and want to have their babies here,” McClamroch added.
Dr Pamela Kantorowski, who joined the Women’s Health Center in 1999, said her stepfather teased her about moving to Pinehurst: “Why go, are they all retirees?” He told him.
“I said yes. But a retiree community means you have all the supportive people. Between the increase in Fort Bragg and just having Moore such a good reputation, in general people have moved here. Businesses have moved here, so we have grown economically and we are attracting more workers, “Kantorowski said.” With more young people it increases the need for obstetric services … we are trying to catch up. “
Several years ago, Moore Regional switched to a “stork nurse” system. This allows babies to stay with their mothers, even those delivered by Caesarean section.
“Patients have heard of this standard practice and it brings them to Moore,” Kantorowski said.
She also credits her colleague, Dr. John Byron, for advocating for more subspecialty care, including the addition of maternal fetal medicine and obstetric and gynecologic oncology services.
“It allows these patients to stay here. We are able to treat more patients in our hospital because we have these subspecialties. It’s about having all these pieces, ”she said. “FirstHealth is strongly committed to serving women and children. “
Recruiting highly qualified personnel is another important aspect of the successful growth of any organization. Kantorowski said in the medical field, it’s not just about creating a top-notch facility for staff to practice.
“They are looking for what a community can offer. We have the health part, the good schools, the leisure and activities part. But as a doctor you want to have a very specific sense of being able to be a part of the community. We’re able to build that here, and that’s a huge selling point.
