Home > Essentia Health-Virginia improves baby-delivery experience with remodeled birthing suites

Essentia Health-Virginia is making the baby-delivery experience more comfortable for moms, partners and families.

The birthplace in the hospital recently underwent a complete remodel of the two birthing suites as well as the postpartum room to make them more private, comfortable and homelike. The project included updating flooring, modernizing the bathroom, adding an additional tub for comfort during and after labor, a sofa with a pullout bed, large TVs and more.

“Giving birth is such a special day for any mother, and we really wanted to enhance the experience, making it private, intimate and as comfortable as possible for the whole family,” said Dr. Kelsey Redland-Kladivo, a family medicine physician with obstetrics. “I think patients and their families will find the homelike atmosphere we’ve created to be welcoming and calming.”

“Moms and partners should expect these sorts of accommodations, and we’re happy to provide them,” said Sam Stone, administrator of Essentia Health-Virginia. “This is one of the many ways we can invest in our community and make sure our patients have a good experience and outcome with their care.”

Essentia Health-Virginia offers comprehensive care while keeping patients close to home and eliminating the need to travel to deliver their baby. The well-rounded birth team features three OB/GYNs, four family medicine physicians with surgical OB and a women’s health nurse practitioner. They provide expert, compassionate care from the time you find out you are pregnant, through delivery and beyond.

The team is well-equipped to handle complex births, as well, with a NICU telehealth line to Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth, plus a C-section suite on the labor and delivery floor. Two board-certified lactation consultants help with any breastfeeding questions. There is also a pelvic floor therapist to assist with pregnancy concerns as well as recovery from complex births.

Stone said providing this level of care on the Iron Range is a must.  

“Northern Minnesota has lost some facilities that did baby delivery previously and so we are improving overnight amenities because patients are traveling further than ever before to come here,” said Stone. “We think it’s really important to bring care closer to the communities we are privileged to serve and that’s why we are investing in Virginia — to provide comprehensive care to our patients in rural communities that don’t want to drive an hour or more to get to Duluth. They can receive virtually the same level of care in Virginia, and we’re proud to say that and offer it.”

Tours of the remodeled space are available. 

View video transcript Listen to audio description (MP3)

(DESCRIPTION) A toddler boy walks in a dining room, carrying a book made of fabric.

(SPEECH) SPEAKER 1: When we were pregnant with Ryder, we found out fairly late in my pregnancy that Ryder had a heart condition. We had gone in for one of my regular checkups with my midwife, and on the little Doppler, we heard an irregular heartbeat. And we found out that he had a heart condition called Tetralogy of Fallot.

(DESCRIPTION) She sits with him on the floor, pointing at buttons on a toy.

(SPEECH) And it was one of those-- I think I pretty much just shut down. During that scan, that's when they found the murmur and the hole in his heart.

(DESCRIPTION) He pushes buttons on the toy as he stands up.

(SPEECH) So I was completely caught off-guard and hadn't mentally prepared myself for that. But from there, it was really great working with the team at Essentia, because not only did my midwife circle back with me, the cardiologist, Dr. Rauser-Foltz got a hold of me right away and talked me through and asked if I had any questions, she had us come in and meet with her even though baby wasn't born yet, but she wanted to make sure that we got to meet her and were comfortable talking to her.

(DESCRIPTION) The lobby of a hospital, with desks on one side and elevators on the other. A hallway on one of the upper floors of the hospital, with chairs, desks, and a sign on the wall that reads, Women's Clinic.

(SPEECH) From there, we went and had some additional scans just making sure that we had as much of a picture as we could prior to him being born, and we had the option of having Ryder down in the cities. We would have gone anywhere and done anything for him to make sure that it would gone as best as possible, and we wanted to stay in Fargo. We wanted to stay at Essentia because that is where our care team was at and where we felt comfortable. And after Ryder was born, Dr. Rauser-Foltz came in and again was really great about assuring us that we're doing everything we can, you don't need to be nervous about anything at this point. We did a scan and confirmed it was the Tetralogy of Fallot and that he would need surgery.

(DESCRIPTION) Ryder smiles as he clutches a stuffed animal and sits on the floor.

(SPEECH) Her being so involved and so in touch with everything that was going on was also so comforting, to the point he was not feeling well and I had taken him into the walk-in clinic. And before I was even out of the parking lot at the South University Clinic, she had called me on the phone to check in and see, how are you doing? Do you have any questions? And just that involvement and that reassurance of you're doing everything right or this is what you can do to help him, but again, very involved and very comforting.

(DESCRIPTION) She reads the book to Ryder and another boy.

(SPEECH) His surgery was the day after his six-month birthday. And he did so well with the surgery and did very well with recovery. So we got to celebrate Ryder's first birthday in December and it was such a joyous day, because there was so many unknowns and so many ups and downs in his first year.

(DESCRIPTION) Ryder walks away. She grabs the waist of his pants.

(SPEECH) SPEAKER 2: Hey, where you going?

(SPEECH) SPEAKER 1: Getting to see him walking around and playing. And what a little blessing and what an exciting day. It was quite the milestone to be able to get to and knowing that we have so many more ahead, but we made it through all of this. And that tough little guy is doing great he's keeping on keeping on.

(DESCRIPTION) Text, Like Nowhere Else. The Essentia Health logo appears, consisting of three leaves in a circle. Text, Essentia Health.

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