A leading donation enables all new mothers at Clara Maass Medical Center o have a first-class experience.
Extensive research has supported what many women know intuitively: The environment in which birth takes place makes a big difference to the well-being of new mothers. At Clara Maass Medical Center (CMMC), every woman who gives birth will now have a state-of-the-art and holistic environment, thanks to a transformative gift by Brian Sterling, a member of the Board of Trustees of Clara Maass Medical Center and of the Clara Maass Medical Center Foundation, and his wife, Linda.
“We have two children, and we want to make sure that women of all different cultures and economic standpoints have a positive and healthy labor and delivery experience,” says Linda. “Whether it’s your first child or your fifth, you want to have an environment that moms as well as doctors and nurses can feel positive about.”
The Labor, Delivery and Recovery (LDR) unit at CMMC will now house six richly decorated, contemporary suites with amenities such as refrigerators and coffee machines. All rooms are private, with private bathrooms. Patients say that having privacy, as well as enough room for visiting family members, is a priority as they bond with the newborn.
In addition to providing the latest technology and care, the LDR team at CMMC takes a holistic approach to childbirth. If she wants to, a woman can make use of a birthing ball (on which she can gently rock during labor to ease pain) or a birthing chair (which allows for a squatting position during labor).
Giving that feels so good
The Sterlings say that supporting the institutional priorities of CMMC is a key consideration for them. “We think Clara Maass is a jewel—a small community hospital that is really delivering top quality medical care and health care to the community,” says Brian. “We have enormous respect for the judgment of President and Chief Executive Officer Mary Ellen Clyne and her team.”
Brian, who grew up in West Orange, first became involved with CMMC after a cardiac scare in 2012 that sent him to the Emergency Department. “They took such good care of me,” he says. “And as we’ve gotten to know more about Clara Maass, their concept of wellness, in addition to health care, really reverberates with us. Wellness is about nutrition, it’s about food security, having a clean place to live, getting educated—it all ties up, and that is what Clara Maass is promoting. It’s very important to us to help further their mission.”
Giving to CMMC is a source of personal satisfaction, the Sterlings say. “I’m a breast cancer survivor,” says Linda. “You never worry about your health until something goes wrong, and then you realize how important it is. We have the benefit of having outstanding health care, but so many people don’t, and you can see the financial and other stresses it puts on their family. “When we talk with Mary Ellen Clyne about all the different things Clara Maass does to help families, it makes us feel extraordinarily good to know that we’re having an impact on people’s lives at what may be one of the most important times in their lives. We’re happy to be able to do it.”
To learn more about opportunities to give to Clara Maass Medical Center, visit www.claragiving.org.