LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For the first time in nearly 50 years, mothers in south Louisville soon will be able to receive maternity services without having to travel outside their community.
UofL Health - Mary & Elizabeth Hospital is bringing labor and delivery services back to south Louisville with its newest addition, "The Birthing Place."
This $20 million project aims to provide healthcare to patients in underserved communities, according to a UofL Health news release. $8 million comes from local taxpayer money. Metro Councilwoman Cindi Fowler led the funding effort.
"It's very emotional," she said with misty eyes. "I could not be more happy for the people, especially families and mothers west of I-65, 'cause this is so long overdue."
Melisa Adkins, CEO of UofL Health – Mary & Elizabeth Hospital, said the last time a baby was born there, through a planned delivery, was 1974.
"Now, more women will be able to deliver their newborns close to home and under exceptional care," she said.
According to the Louisville Department of Public Health and Wellness, neighborhoods like Shively, Wilder Park, and St. Denis have the highest infant death rates in the city. The return of birthing services to the area puts health care beside an area with the greatest need.
Someone living in Valley Station currently has a 22-mile drive to the nearest delivery room in downtown. Once the Mary & Elizabeth location opens, it'll go down to seven miles.
The 21,000 square-foot maternity space will have eight Labor, Delivery, Recovery, Postpartum (LDRP) suites with a focus on both natural and traditional childbirth. Each room will also include a spa-inspired labor tub area and a private bathroom/shower room. The birthing center will include a C-Section suite, a well-baby Level 1 Nursery and a Labor Lounge providing a calming and soothing environment for laboring mothers.
Care at ‘The Birthing Place’ will be provided by both physicians and certified nurse midwives, along with licensed clinical social workers, health coaches, health educators and care navigators. The space designed reflects a home environment where families can be together.
Demolition begins in December 2023. It'll prepare the ground for the addition which is expected to finish in Spring of 2025.
Louisville's Department of Public Health and Wellness has an early start program for families expecting a child for the following ZIP codes: 40203, 40208, 40210, 40211, and 40212.
If you need their assistance planning, you can call them at 502-574-6661 or send an email here.
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