Family Focused Care Gives Babies a Better Beginning

It's been said
that children
are the keys to par-
adise. If that's true
then St. Joseph
Mercy Hospital has
unlocked more
doors to paradise
than any other hos-
pital in Washtenaw
County
Nearly 60 per-
cent of all babies
born in Washtenaw
County were deliv-
ered at St. Joe's.
That's 3,500 babies
last year and the
number will grow
to nearly 4,000 this .
year. According to
Pat Rutowski, director of Maternal/
Child Nursing, St. Joe's focus on the
entire family provides the best care
possible.
A new method of care developed
at St. Joe's is the mother/baby nursing
program, in which one nurse cares
for both the newborn and the mother.
In the past, one nurse cared for the
baby and another nurse cared for the
mother.
"The mother/baby nursing pro-
gram improves patient care,"
Rutowski says. "For example, because
mothers are leaving the hospital
sooner after giving birth, it was im-
perative one nurse take care of both.
When there's just one nurse, the ob-
servation of mother and baby is
greatly improved. If the mother is
going to leave early, we have to make
sure everything is OK, which means
the observation of mother and baby
must be very thorough."
Rutowski adds that the new nurs-
ing program is an extension of the
family focused care provided at St.
Joe's.
"It's all part of keeping families
together," she says.
"The mothers like it"
Registered nurse Barb Martinez
is a mother/baby nurse and she en-
joys her expanded role. Working with
the entire family is rewarding, she
says, adding this new type of care

rsing program keeps mothers and babie
helps nurses out, too.
"There is more continuity of care
for nurses," Martinez says. "This type
of care is much more satisfying for us.
Nurses work with fewer patients in
this program and we're more in-
volved with the family
'And the mothers like it. When
there's just one nurse there's less con-
fusion and more consistent
information."
For example, Martinez says, in
the past there was a postpartum nurse
to take care of the mother after the
birth and a nursery nurse to take care
of the baby If the mother has decided
to breast-feed (see story on page 6)
there used to be some confusion
about who she should go to with
questions. Now, with just one nurse,
that problem is alleviated.
Rutowski tells stories of happy
parents who have sent thank you
notes and flowers to their nurse after
they've left the hospital with their
newborn.
"One of the biggest rewards is
seeing the whole family together and
happy," she says.
There's no place like home
A new service offered through St.
Joseph Mercy Hospital and McAuley
Health Plan has new mothers singing
its praises. If the new mother is en-
rolled in McAuley Health Plan she is
eligible to enjoy her recovery with

her baby in the
comfort of her own
home.
Mothers who
leave the hospital
one to two days
after a vaginal de-
livery or three to
four days after a
Cesarean birth can
enjoy the home
care program. Reg-
istered nurses pro-
vide nursing care
to mother and in-
fant as well as teach
child care to the
new mother. De-
pending on how
s togeter. soon they leave the
hospital, mothers
can receive up to 16 hours of "home-
maker services" which include house-
keeping and meal preparation.
"Mothers who have used the pro-
gram really like it," says Martinez,
who is also a home health care nurse
in the program. "This program allows
everyone to be in their own environ-
ment and it promotes wellness."
If you want to have your baby at
St. Joe's and you need an obstetrician,
please call McAuley Referral Line at
572-5500.
We're looldngi
Were you born at St. Joe's?
Anyone in your family? We want
you in our family album.
Please send one of your baby
pictures with your name, address,
birthdate and birthweight to:
Community Relations Depart-
ment, Catherine McAuley Health
Center, PO. Box 992, Ann Arbor
48106. (Photos will be returned
upon request.)
Photos received by Sept. 1
will be included in the St. Joe's
Baby Album. The album will be on
display the week of Nov 17 for our
75th birthday