July 19, 2017 - Nacogdoches Medical Center, in partnership with local OB/GYN providers, has launched an innovative new maternity program that offers 24/7 midwifery services at the hospital.
Certified nurse midwife Marcia Nelson is the first to join Nacogdoches Medical Center’s medical staff within the department of obstetrics and gynecology. Nelson will be joined by a second midwife, Cheryl Scalora, in July. The new midwifery team will work in collaboration with Dr. Brian Glymph and Dr. Kyle McMorries.
Together with hospital leadership, they have launched a midwifery program that will continue to grow its number of midwives in the coming months. With this new program expectant mothers are afforded a choice in how they deliver; either primarily attended by a midwife or an obstetrician. (If high risk issues develop, the collaborating physician is available to provide care.) “Local physicians and midwives have been working on the planning and implementation of this program for almost a year,” said Jamie Lee, Director of Women’s Services with Nacogdoches Medical Center. “Our primary objective was to assure that all patients have the chance to choose the type of labor and delivery care they want, with the safety afforded by our comprehensive team of obstetricians, pediatricians, and neonatologists.”
The availability of the program depends on how an expectant mother chooses to receive prenatal care. “It’s important that expectant parents talk with their physicians or midwives during prenatal care about what kind of delivery they want,” said Lee. “Our goal is to improve safety and satisfaction for both patients and physicians,” said Dr. Brian Glymph, OB/GYN and Department Chairman at Nacogdoches Medical Center. “We haven’t taken anything away from the traditional patterns of labor and delivery. Instead, we’ve added choice and, we believe, enhanced safety and quality.” “This program is a welcomed extension to Nacogdoches Medical Center’s premier women’s and neonatal services in Deep East Texas,” said Jeff Patterson, CEO of NMC Health Network. “We’re giving our patients more say in choosing the delivery with which they are most comfortable, while offering a safe setting with a full range of resources should the situation require them.”
As partners in their patient’s care, Nelson and Scalora provide women’s healthcare throughout the lifespan including general health check-ups and well woman exams, as well as pregnancy, birth, lactation and postpartum care. Their new office, located at 623 Russell Boulevard in Nacogdoches, also serves as a depot to The Mother’s Milk Bank of North Texas. Mothers who want to donate their excess breastmilk can drop off their donations at their office, where staff will securely store the milk before sending it to Fort Worth for pasteurization and shipment to critically ill infants.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call (855)766-7272.
