St. Tammany Health System’s flagship St. Tammany Parish Hospital recently christened its new Obstetric Emergency Department (OBED), a purpose-built space designed specifically for expectant mothers experiencing the unexpected in their pregnancy journey.
“We are so excited as we ‘cut the cord,’ if you will, on this new, custom-built space, which will help us continue to deliver exceptional care for our community’s moms-to-be in a much bigger space than previously,” said Joan Coffman, the health system’s president and CEO.
Located in the Labor and Delivery Unit of the hospital’s new Family Center, the new OBED features six fully private triage rooms, where trained maternal experts can examine patients and determine the next step in their care.
All of the rooms are built with new moms’ serenity and safety in mind, and all are outfitted with advanced fetal monitoring equipment. Additionally, the new OBED, which replaces a smaller, semi-private triage space inside the hospital, is staffed around the clock by a team of highly trained obstetric hospitalists and maternity nurses.
According to STHS Chief Medical Officer Patrick Torcson, MD, having a dedicated OBED is a continuation of an ongoing effort to provide high-quality, specialized care to all Northshore residents.
“At St. Tammany, we’ve delivered over 60,000 babies in the 70 years the hospital has been in existence, and I don’t think we’ve ever been better equipped than we are now in terms of the quality, safety and overall experience we can provide to women,” Torcson said.
The new OBED space is just one part of St. Tammany Health System’s Emergency Services Department, which also includes its hospital Emergency Department, a standalone Emergency Department in Mandeville, and a Pediatric Emergency Department, all open 24/7.