Littauer Unveils New Birthing Center

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GLOVERSVILLE, NY (12/14/2009)(readMedia)-- It took 13 tons of sheet rock, 1000 feet of oak trim, 1800 feet of wire, 50 gallons of paint, $1.2 million dollars, 3 miles of wire and 162 days to complete the New Birthing Center at Littauer. And the final results are dramatic. As Susan Kiernan, Vice President of Development likes to point out, "When you step into our New Birthing Center you would never guess you were in a hospital." From the pendant lighting to the private whirlpool birthing suites, the Hospital is certain new families will be delighted with the results. Littauer will officially celebrate the Center's opening with a slate of activities. The Hospital will host a ribbon cutting Tuesday, December 15th at 4:45 pm, and will show off the center to the public at 5:30 pm that same day. The Hospital will also be unveiling a donor wall at 5:35 pm featuring the donors who made the project and other improvements at the hospital possible. Patients will start using the unit later that week.

"The Center is probably one of the most highly-anticipated projects we have ever launched." stated Laurence E. Kelly, Littauer's President and CEO. He continued, "It started with a desire to replace our aging maternity unit with a state-of-the-art new center." Leadership at the hospital traveled to a hospital in Colorado and toured their maternity center and emergency department in August of 2008. He explained, "We brought back a lot of ideas. Staff did a lot of research about what families were looking for in a birthing center. And when we set our goals and objectives for 2009, this project was at the top of our list." He added, "It is more than gratifying to see it completed, and even surpassing our expectations."

Kim Colvin, Manager of Maternal Child Health, who has been heading up the project for Littauer agreed noting, "We really talked to our families. I poured over pictures of successful maternity centers and others read research about successful maternity centers. We found four common themes emerged. Families wanted: safety and services; luxury; privacy; and a sense of freedom. So in essence we built a center around that." Ms. Colvin explained, "We agonized over every detail right down to the color, amenities and carpet pile. And I think that shows." She added, "What we are delivering to the community on Tuesday is one of the best centers I have ever seen. It certainly will be an asset to our region."

The architect for the hospital project was David Souers of Optimus Architecture located in Kingston, New York. They created an Adirondack-inspired center for Littauer replete with oak trim, wood styled floors, granite hued ceramic tile accented with a palette of greens and golds and finished with wrought iron lighting.

The new unit has been dubbed "The NEW Birthing Center at Nathan Littauer" and it now holds three labor and delivery rooms and 7 postpartum rooms. The Hospital also made improvements to their surgical room for mothers delivering by C-Section. The new unit boasts the following amenities in a spa-like setting: private rooms with private baths, hydrotherapy-whirlpool tubs, wireless internet service, birthing suites with overnight accommodations for partners, pregnancy and newborn education, 24/7 hour anesthesia, highest patient satisfaction scores, a flat screen TV in every room, kitchenette for families, interpreter services, family-centered care, expertly decorated rooms in a restful environment, soft lighting, sitting room/family lounge, take-out gourmet meals, lactation counselors and nurses trained in breastfeeding support, experienced and compassionate midwives and doctors, an education room, a secure nursery, and all attended to by nationally certified nurses.

And the center will be opening just in time according to Mr. Kelly, "We are expecting a holiday baby."

To learn more about the New Birthing Center people are encouraged to visit the hospital's website at www.nlh.org. Families hoping to deliver in the near future are encouraged to attend the hospital's open house Tuesday at 5:30 pm or by arranging a tour by emailing the hospital at baby@nlh.org or by calling: 518-773-5494.

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