Planning for delivery and ensuring a healthy pregnancy can be daunting tasks regularly, but the COVID-19 pandemic has added uncertainty to the process. Sandy Salmon, Director of Women and Infants’ Services at Overlake Medical Center, sees many patients who share concerns before delivery and talked recently with one of them after delivery.
“She was really impressed by how comfortable she has felt in a hospital environment in the middle of a pandemic bringing a newborn into the world,” Dr. Salmon said. “People are managing it, but it is different.”
Overlake Medical Center was an early adopter of many safety measures, including screening all patients, staff, and visitors for COVID-19. The center also implemented universal mask-wearing, so everyone entering campus is masked up. While patients don’t have to be masked inside their rooms, staff wears a mask at all times.
Many classes including childbirth prep and breastfeeding basics have gone virtual and online support groups provide an open space for women to lean on each other. Dr. Salmon advises patients to continue going to all doctor’s appointments to ensure a healthy pregnancy.
“Don’t be scared about prenatal care. Hospitals and doctor’s offices are safe places for you to go.”
Overlake plans to open a new Childbirth Center in early 2021. The facility will have large rooms with family designated areas, open spaces for families, twin rooms in the NICU and an antepartum unit to care for high-risk patients.
“The lens that we made every decision about in this new building was to give family-centered care,” Dr. Salmon said.
When deciding on a delivery location, Dr. Salmon suggests doing your research and asking pertinent questions about the hospital’s level of support and reputation. Overlake is ranked as a 3-star recipient for labor and delivery from Healthgrades and 5-star for gynecology.
Sponsored by Overlake Medical Center. Segment Producer Joseph Suttner. Watch New Day Northwest 11 AM weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.