Hoag Hospital's OB hospitalists provide immediate care onsite 24/7, in concert with each patient's OB physician
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hoag is one of the first hospitals in Orange County to implement an OB Hospitalists Program in its labor and delivery unit. Hoag's specialized program consists of board-certified Hoag OB-GYNs, who are onsite at the hospital 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide the highest level of care to pregnant and laboring women through immediate obstetrical consultation, emergency management, and assistance in delivery or caesarean section.
"Hoag OB hospitalists provide increased patient safety and efficient, streamlined care for OB inpatients, in concert with each patient's obstetrician," said Dale Braithwaite, M.D., physician director of the Hoag OB Hospitalist Program. "Women can be assured that no matter when they come to Hoag, they will have immediate access to a board-certified OB who specializes in emergency obstetrics."
The Hoag OB Hospitalist Program does not change the relationship the patient has with her physician. Instead, the role of the OB hospitalist is to provide a safety net of timely, high-quality care, in coordination with other specialists, for patients who present at the hospital with emergent needs. The OB hospitalist is also an important component in ensuring safe management of non-emergent obstetrical patients in conjunction with their private practice physician.
While Hoag has offered OB night coverage for many years, the new comprehensive OB Hospitalist Program was made possible in part by a grant given by the James Easton Family Foundation. The grant supports the Easton Health in Pregnancy Program (E-HIPP) at Hoag Hospital. The E-HIPP program was designed to enhance Hoag's quality obstetrical care and services for women who are pregnant, or wish to become pregnant - specifically for those women who may be at increased risk due to age or underlying medical conditions.
An integral component of the program is the in-house OB hospitalist, who is solely devoted to providing around-the-clock care to Hoag's OB inpatients. Hoag has three full-time and four part-time board-certified Hoag-affiliated obstetricians who serve as the Hoag OB Hospitalist Team and work in sync with Hoag's nursing staff, perinatalogists, and private practice obstetricians affiliated with Hoag.
Another important fact in Hoag's commitment to providing an expanded OB Hospitalist Program is that women over age 35 represent more than 30 percent of the deliveries at Hoag, almost twice the national average. "Because more women are becoming pregnant later in life, and these women are at increased risk for complications such as preterm labor, women over age 35 in particular, benefit greatly from having immediate access to emergent obstetrical care," added Dr. Braithwaite.
About Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian (www.hoaghospital.org) is a 498-bed, not-for-profit, acute care hospital located in Newport Beach, Calif. Fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and designated as a Magnet hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), Hoag offers a comprehensive mix of health care services, including Centers of Excellence in cancer, heart and vascular, neurosciences, orthopedics and women's health. National Research Corporation has endorsed Hoag as Orange County's most preferred hospital for the past 13 consecutive years. And for an unprecedented 14 years, residents of Orange County have chosen Hoag as the county's best hospital in a local newspaper survey. In order to meet the growing needs of Irvine and South County residents, Hoag will open an Irvine campus in 2010. Hoag continues to offer additional services to the community through the seven Hoag Health Centers located throughout Orange County.
SOURCE Hoag Hospital
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