As part of its $39 million expansion project, VVMC recently celebrated completion of a new Maternity/Women’s Services unit on the fourth floor of the four-story east addition. The unit began caring for patients on Aug. 17, and offers new and expanded services in an environment that supports quality continuity of care.

The Perinatal Services team at Verde Valley Medical Center is committed to excellence. State-of-the-art medical technology is utilized, and staff members are required to pursue advanced, continuing education in their field.

Team members are a caring, cohesive unit of professionals, including board certified obstetricians and family practice physicians; nationally certified nurses; lactation experts; financial counselors and dedicated support staff.

To enhance security measures already in place on the OB unit, a high tech security system to prevent infant abduction provides the highest quality of care and safety to patients and their families.

VVMC is certified by the Arizona Perinatal Trust as a Level 1 Perinatal Center that provides care for low-risk maternity patients and their newborns. Certification is voluntary, and participating hospitals undergo inspection and education to meet the stringent requirements for certification.

When necessary, consultation is provided regarding high-risk mothers and infants, and transportation to a higher level facility is available. VVMC soon will expand services to change its Nursery status from a Level 1 to a Level 2 in order to provide moderately complicated or more intensive care.

Triage
A triage area is used for the evaluation and prioritization of care of patients. In the Perinatal Services department, the triage area is where pregnant women are assessed by a member of the OB nursing staff to determine their potential for admission to the nursing unit. This area also is used to admit women undergoing outpatient non-stress testing or procedures.

Labor/Delivery/Recovery (LDR) Rooms
Women are admitted to an LDR room where they will stay throughout their labor, delivery and post-recovery period before being transferred to the postpartum section of the unit. Rooms are designed to create a more spa-like atmosphere and appear less like a typical hospital setting. Medical equipment, such as suction and oxygen, is carefully hidden behind artwork, but readily available as needed.

Spa Tub Room
The intention of the spa tub room is to make women as comfortable as possible and assist with labor pain management.

Some features of the room include:

• Spa-like atmosphere
• Ambient lighting
• Aroma therapy
• Soft music

Postpartum Section
After a brief recovery period, women are moved to their own private suite in the postpartum section. The rooms include a comfortable sleeper chair for the significant other, soft multi-level lighting, high-tech computer monitoring systems and individual charting capabilities. A healthy baby stays with the family in the mother’s room, with ongoing observation by a qualified nurse. In addition to regular television are the Patient and Newborn channels which provide information on healthcare topics, newborn care, baby basics and parenting skills in both English and Spanish.

Nurseries

Nursery 1
This nursery is considered the well-baby nursery. It includes a waiting area with multiple viewing windows into the nursery. Healthy babies most often stay in the mother’s room, with ongoing observation by a qualified nurse. The nursery is available if the baby requires observation or treatment, or if the mother would like time to rest without the baby in her room.

Nursery 2
This nursery is for infants who may require additional care. It also includes a viewing window, but will be more private and discretionary.

Primary C-section Suite
The expansion of the Perinatal Services department now offers the ability to provide scheduled cesarean section surgical services on the same unit rather than having to move women to the general Surgical Services area of the hospital.

Emergency Delivery Suite
The Emergency Delivery Suite is used for emergency C-section deliveries, delivery of twins, or in the event the primary C-Section Suite is being used and another C-section delivery has to take place at the same time.

Other Unit Features:

• Full-time Perinatal social worker available on the unit to provide support, counseling and information services
• Lactation Consultation Room
• Newborn Hearing Screenings
• Nutrition Center
• Secured Medication Room