With women, for a lifetimeTM Commendation
The Birthing Suite, Pennsylvania Hospital
Julie Cristol CNM, Director
The Birth Center opened in 1998 under the direction of Richard Jennings. Its goal was to provide a setting for low-risk birth within a tertiray care hospital. The Suite is in the historic Lying-in Hospital across the street from the main labor and delivery unit. For the past fifteen years, it has provided a home-like environment for normal birth within a high risk oriented maternity center. Although any provider who has privileges at the hospital can use the Suite, the women attended by the Hospital’s nurse-midwives are primarily use the suite. There are currently nine nurse-midwives in a practice called Penn OB/GYN and Midwifery care.
The nurse-midwives who use the Birthing Suite currently provide prenatal care a tsix federally funded health centers. This service to the community begin in 1991 with one health center and has gradually over the years. AT each site, the number of women seeking care has grown dramatically with the introduction of a midwifery service. These women can choose between the Birthing Suite and traditional Labor and Delivery settings for their births.
The midwives at Pennsylvania Hospital have participated in the education of University of Penn. midwifery students since the founding of the Birthing Suite. The philosophy of the midwives attending births in the Birthing Suite definitely reflects the Heart of Midwifery.
