CHI St. Luke’s Health–Memorial in Lufkin recently announced plans to build a multi-million dollar Women’s Center that will include suites dedicated to labor and delivery, recovery and postpartum, as well as a Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The NICU will be medically managed by Texas Children’s Community Initiatives and supported by Baylor College of Medicine board certified neonatologists. Texas Children’s Community Initiatives program has provided neonatal, pediatric sub-specialty, and more recently maternal fetal medicine services to community hospitals since 2003. Lufkin will be the 12th community hospital partnership, and first in East Texas.
“Texas Children’s is a recognized leader in the treatment of babies born with complications or prematurely, and this partnership will allow area residents to have access to the best possible care for their babies right in their own community,” said Joann Lee, Director of Business Development for Texas Children’s Community Initiatives. “Additionally, pregnant women in Lufkin and its surrounding communities will have access to Texas Children’s maternal-fetal medicine program offered through telemedicine services, which will allow mothers with high-risk pregnancies to obtain comprehensive evaluations and treatment, so they can have the best possible outcomes.”
Responding to a growing need for neonatal care in Lufkin and the surrounding communities, CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial developed its new neonatal program in partnership with Texas Children’s, which houses the nation’s largest level IV NICU and provides the highest level of care available for premature and critically ill newborns. Over the next year, the Community Initiatives team will continue collaborative efforts with the CHI team to ensure unit readiness in clinical practice, quality, education, and training.
Consistently ranked as one of the best pediatric hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Texas Children’s has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women’s health. CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial will have the only NICU in the region medically managed by Texas Children’s.
“Our new Women’s Center will raise the level of care in our community and will afford families the opportunity to stay close to home for their total care,” said Mary Franklin, Market Vice President of Patient Care Services at CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial. “The excitement is in the air, our employees are eagerly awaiting the completion, our physicians are enthusiastic and as the community becomes more aware of this awesome project, I can only imagine their delight.”
The design for the new Women’s Center will be completed in two phases. Phase 1, which is underway, includes labor and delivery, recovery and postpartum suites, as well as new C-section accommodations. Completion is expected in the Fall. Phase 2 includes a cutting edge well-baby nursery, new C-section rooms and an ultramodern NICU. The NICU features private rooms to provide specialized care and monitoring for premature and/or ill newborns. Phase 2 is expected to take an additional nine months to complete.
“For almost 70 years CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial Lufkin has been dedicated to caring for the families of deep East Texas,” said Monte Bostwick, President and CEO of CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial. “Our new Women’s Center will bring a brand new healing environment to our hospital as we continue to support all women and their families.”