You At Your Best

Willow Creek Women's Hospital (WCWH) has launched a new Maternal-Fetal Transport Service to provide rapid medical intervention for mothers-to-be who are experiencing pregnancy complications. Expectant mothers – as well as their critically ill newborns – can be safely transported in an ambulance specifically equipped to provide an intensive-care environment. The only service of its kind in Northwest Arkansas, the transport service is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of medical professionals. For newborns in distress, WCWH has provided a Neonatal Transport Service for many years. The hospital also has an OB/ GYN emergency department solely focused on women's needs with board-certified OB/GYNs available 24/7, the only such dedicated service in Northwest Arkansas. The new Maternal- Fetal Transport Service is operated 24/7 in conjunction with the hospital's Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Maternal-Fetal Medicine services. "Women who are experiencing complications during pregnancy may require rapid medical care. It's our goal to provide the highest level of specialty care for mother or baby in need," said Juli McWhorter, RN, Chief Administrative Officer for WCWH. "We're so pleased to be able to provide this much-needed maternal transport service for our region. Additionally, we're pleased to be able to provide access to both maternal-fetal and neonatal expertise under one roof so mother and baby can be treated in the same hospital without the need to separate them." The Maternal-Fetal Transport emergency service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to transport women experiencing maternal medical emergencies, which may include: • Bleeding after 20 weeks • Diabetes • Hypertension • Multiple gestation (twins, triplets or more) • Preeclampsia • Preterm labor • Rupture of membranes Mothers-to-be experiencing these and other complications are assessed by a highly trained, dedicated transport team and brought to Willow Creek Women's Hospital. They are transported in an ambulance specially equipped with a self- contained mobile intensive care environment. "It is a fact that premature babies do best at the hospital where they are born," said Dr. Bernard Canzoneri, a maternal- fetal medicine specialist. "It is important for a pregnant patient to be transferred to a hospital with an advanced level of neonatal care before the infant's birth. With our new Maternal-Fetal Transport Service, a pregnant mom will be given immediate access to highly experienced nurses and physician specialists in the Northwest Arkansas region. This service will provide quick management of problems or complications during pregnancy which will result in better outcomes for both the pregnant mother and her baby." Dr. Sameer Wagle, a neonatologist, stated: "Northwest Health again has shown its commitment to mothers in Northwest Arkansas to offer the highest level of perinatal care locally with this new service. Mothers often present with preterm labor or with severe pregnancy complications at community hospitals without NICU services. Research shows that the transfer of women in labor to a Level III NICU hospital, such as Willow Creek, increases the opportunity of survival for premature newborns when they are delivered after maternal transfer. For high risk women with pregnancies requiring very preterm deliveries, receiving care at the right hospital with the right resources can be a matter of survival and normal development for their children. There is no higher level of care available in Northwest Arkansas for mothers and babies than at Willow Creek Women's Hospital." The Maternal-Fetal Transport Service provides: • A high-risk maternal- neonatal emergency response team, including a registered nurse specializing in maternal- fetal medicine, a respiratory therapist, and an emergency medical technician; • A communications system provides constant contact with perinatologists, neonatologists and obstetricians with special expertise in high-risk pregnancies at Willow Creek Women's Hospital; • Life-saving equipment such as ventilators and heart monitors. Upon arrival, expectant mothers receive expert care from a highly trained team of obstetricians, nurses and neonatologists to ensure safe delivery for both mother and child. About Willow Creek Women's Hospital Willow Creek Women's Hospital is a 64-bed full-service facility dedicated to women's health needs – from obstetrics to a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to hidden scar breast surgery and 3D mammography. The hospital was first in Arkansas to earn prestigious international recognition as a baby-friendly designated birth facility. Located in Johnson, the hospital is affiliated with Northwest Health, the largest health system in Northwest Arkansas with five hospitals, with 487 beds, a combined medical staff of more than 900 physicians and 2,400+ associates working together to provide quality healthcare for the region. Willow Creek Women's Hospital launches new Maternal-Fetal Transport Service Dr. Bernard Canzoneri Juli McWhorter, Chief Administrative Officer; Christine Picarelli, Director of Women and Infant Services; and Dr. Sameer Wagle, Neonatologist, with the NICU / Maternal- Fetal ambulance at Willow Creek Women's Hospital SPONSOR CONTENT 4 | YOU AT YOUR BEST | NWADG.COM/YOUATYOURBEST APRIL - ALLERGIES & ASTHMA | SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2020

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