Southern Maryland Hospital is in the midst of a baby boom. On December 29th, physicians at Southern Maryland Hospital’s Women and Newborns Center celebrated their 2000th delivery of the year.
Ketrena Johnson of Waldorf delivered her son, Demetrius Xavier Morissette, at 11:13 on Thursday morning. The 2000th delivery was performed by the Women and Newborns Center’s Dr. Delapaz. To celebrate the occasion, Southern Maryland Hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Michael Chiaramonte, MBA, presented Ketrena with a $2,000 savings bond for Demetrius.
2011 marks the first year Southern Maryland Hospital has reached this milestone, but hospital officials expect the trend to continue in the future.
“This is the highest number of deliveries ever recorded at Southern Maryland Hospital,” said administrative director of women’s services Diana Gray.
In fact, based on third quarter data, Southern Maryland Hospital also has the second highest number of births compared to five hospitals in the Southern Maryland region. According to Gray, several factors contributed to this impressive number of births. For example, the Women and Newborns Center has established a long-term relationship with Joint Base Andrews that has increased the number of deliveries. As a result of Malcolm Grow Medical Center’s closure, Air Force providers began delivering their obstetrics patients at the hospital last year. More broadly, the region’s population continues to grow, and more babies are being born in the area. Perhaps most importantly, local obstetricians choose to deliver their patients at the Women and Newborns Center because of its quality. The Center’s mission is to combine state-of-the-art technology and clinical expertise with the caring and comfort of home to give each family the best possible birth experience.
Completely renovated and upgraded in 2010, the Women and Newborns Center is an enhanced obstetrics and gynecology program that includes the region’s only Level II special care nursery. The Center’s physicians and nurses care for both normal and high-risk deliveries. Obstetricians, pediatricians, and anesthesiologists are available twenty-four hours a day and specialists in newborns and high-risk pregnancies are on site as well. During renovation, the hospital worked closely with interior designers, decorators, and architects to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Each postpartum room is private and includes amenities such as free wireless Internet access and comfortable foldout chairs for new dads.
