The Newly Renovated Mother-Baby Unit Provides Private Rooms and the Most Advanced Care

More than 3,000 babies are “Born at The Beth” every year, and at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (NBI) each experience is unique.

“This isn’t cookie-cutter care,” says MaryAnne Markowski, CNM, MSN, MSHS, Director of Midwifery Services at NBI. “We cater to the needs of each mother, whether a woman is a low-risk patient who wants a completely natural birth or there is a high-risk situation. The wide range of care we provide really sets us apart.”

At the core of this experience is NBI’s Collaborative Practice, in which board-certified nurse midwives and board-certified obstetricians, led by Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology Khalid Sawaged, DO, FACOG, work closely together.

“The midwives work as a team with our doctors, and we have a mutual respect for one another,” Markowski says.

“It’s a unique model and we’ve worked hard to achieve it.” Every detail is regarded as an opportunity to promote safety and bonding, such as fostering skin-to-skin contact and trying to get baby on the breast right after delivery to support breastfeeding.

At NBI’s 34-bed Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey Mother-Baby Unit, all rooms are spacious, private and newly renovated.

“We encourage rooming-in for the baby, and our private rooms allow a birth partner to comfortably stay with the new mother during her time at the hospital,” says LaShawn Jemison, MSN, MBA, RN, Director of Perinatal Services at NBI.

In recognition of how important each birth is, the Mother-Baby Unit has a “Zero Birthday Cake” program to celebrate the life of the newborn and congratulate the family.

An Advanced Environment

In cases where a newborn needs medical intervention, obstetricians can turn to NBI’s Level 4 Regional Perinatal Center—one of only two such centers in the state—which provides the highest level of neonatal intensive care to newborns; a Comprehensive Children’s Heart Center; and a full Children’s Hospital of New Jersey with more than 30 pediatric specialties.

“Keeping our new mothers and their babies safe and healthy is our top priority, and it shows,” says Darrell K. Terry, Sr., President and Chief Executive Officer at NBI and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey. “Our new moms certainly expect the best, and we continue to set new standards for high-quality care.”

“Labor and delivery is always an exciting experience for us,” Markowski says. “We bring life into the world. What better job is there?”

Maternity Care Receives National Recognition

Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (NBI) is proud to have been named a Best Maternity Care Hospital by Newsweek magazine. One of just 231 hospitals in the country to receive this distinction, NBI met all standards for maternity care on evidence-based, nationally standardized metrics. These include lower rates of early elective delivery, NTSV C-section, and episiotomy, as well as compliance with process measures including newborn bilirubin screening prior to discharge and blood clot prevention techniques for mothers delivering via C-section.

For more information, visit Maternity Services at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.