The Birthplace at Goshen Health, a Blue Distinction Center, serves with ingenuity and care 

The Birthplace at Goshen Health, recently recognized as a Blue Distinction Center by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, continues to serve families with a blend of ingenuity and heartfelt care. Known for its thoughtful approach to maternal health, The Birthplace has long embraced creative solutions and evidence-based practices that support moms and babies through every stage of their journey. 

“Our Chief Nursing Officer, Julie Crossley, recognized an opportunity to enhance how we showcase The Birthplace online, which led to the idea of creating a 360° tour,” said Nursing Manager Andrea Keck. “At the time, we had fewer childbirth education classes due to COVID, so this was a creative way to highlight our updated rooms and the tools available during labor. It was a meaningful way to connect with the community.” 

Keck started as a nursing assistant 20 years ago, and from the beginning, admired The Birthplace for being ahead of the curve, using evidence-based tools and approaches to provide care for mothers and babies, such as implementing an hour of skin-to-skin contact right after babies are born. The Birthplace calls this first hour of post-delivery bonding the Golden Hour, when they limit visitors to allow the mom and baby to rest and connect. 

“The way that a mom’s body helps that baby transition is so wonderful,” said Nursing Manager Amy Garoutte. “Putting the baby up against the mom’s chest helps with thermoregulation. It helps the baby maintain their temperature and helps settle their heart rate and breathing. It helps with bonding. They start in that nice, warm, dark phase of the uterus, and then when the baby’s born, it’s cold and it’s loud. Golden Hour helps the baby adjust. It’s just a really great time to initiate breastfeeding and get that mom-baby dyad off to a great start.” 

This level of consideration for both mom and baby does not stop after they leave the hospital. Over the last year, The Birthplace applied for and received a grant from the State of Indiana that enabled it to hire a Maternal Health Advocate. The maternal health advocate focuses on maternal health before and after a mother is discharged from the hospital following the delivery of her baby. 

“The Maternal Health Advocate sees patients in the office during their pregnancy and screens them for the social drivers of health. Do they have what they need to care for their baby? Do they have car seats and a safe place for the baby to sleep? Are there mental health needs being met?” Garoutte said. “She is then able to refer the patients to various resources in our community and throughout the state. She also sees them when they’re here after they’ve had their baby, and she follows up with a phone call afterwards to ensure that the transition from pregnancy to postpartum and being at home is smooth and successful.” 

From helping mothers and babies bond through the tradition of Golden Hour to playing a special song throughout the hospital every time a baby is born, this passion and dedication Keck, Garoutte, and the rest of the staff bring to The Birthplace is evident. This level of care earned The Birthplace the honor of being recognized as a Blue Distinction Center by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. 

“It’s really just the things that we do every day that set us apart,” Keck said. “We utilize the standardized, evidence-based tools to assess patients’ hemorrhage risk and their risk for sepsis. We do multidisciplinary drills and simulations. We practice high-risk delivery situations involving things like hemorrhages and neonatal resuscitation. Blue Cross Blue Shield Association also provides criteria for us to meet, like decreasing primary C-section rates and decreasing the rates of elective deliveries before 39 weeks.”  

To learn more about The Birthplace at Goshen Health and explore its Interactive 360 Tour of Labor Suite, visit goshenhealth.com.