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Health Matters: Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center | 7 to make sure we felt supported and part of our son's care team." Having suffered multiple miscarriages and a grueling process just to try and get pregnant, Sarah knew something was wrong when she woke up on the night of February 25—six weeks before her due date—and found that she was bleeding profusely. A panicked car ride later, she arrived at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center and was notified that she would need an emergency C-section. "It was terrifying," says Sarah. "They told me it was a placental abruption and that if I hadn't gotten to the hospital as quickly as I did, myself or my baby wouldn't have made it." Thankfully, Rashida N'gouamba, MD, and her labor- and-delivery team quickly delivered Sarah's baby, Mac, and got him into the care of the NICU team that was waiting on standby. What followed was the type of situation that any mother would dread: a nearly two- week stay for Mac in the NICU as he recovered from the traumatic delivery and got strong enough to go home. But as difficult as it was in the moment, Sarah's memories of the experience are filled with gratitude for the doctors and nurses who helped her family get through it. "A lot of people say, 'Being in the NICU must have been really tough,' " says Sarah. "And don't get me wrong—it was. But everyone we dealt with was so compassionate and so supportive. They were so education-minded, which is a big deal for me, making sure we knew what was going on every day, what techniques they were using, what the next steps looked like, what the scheduled timeline was. It made the whole experience so much easier and really helped ease my anxiety." It started with Dr. N'gouamba and her team, who quickly assessed Sarah when she came into the hospital and determined that an emergency C-section was necessary. "We train for these types of situations so that we're prepared for emergencies," says Dr. N'gouamba. "Our nursing staff does an amazing job of making every patient feel special, giving them their undivided attention and showing empathy in a way that makes such a big difference in stressful situations." Once Mac was delivered, the NICU team quickly stepped in to take over his care. Over the next 13 days, he would undergo a series of tests, require a breathing tube for a stretch of time and need constant supervision, but the NICU team made sure Sarah and her husband, David, were involved every step of the way. The 24-hour access to Mac and the ability to check in on him remotely via a streaming camera above his bed helped greatly, but it was the collaboration and inclusion in their son's care that really stood out for Sarah and David. "Patient experience is so important, and in the case of the NICU that includes the parents," says Robert Gall, MD. "We encourage them to ask questions, because it's about reassuring the families, informing and educating them at every turn." Dr. Gall says that "all of the literature and data shows that parents being part of the care team and being at their baby 's bedside increases good outcomes and lowers the length of stay. We call it family-centered care, because we want them to feel welcome in the NICU." Now seven months old, Mac is doing great. Retelling the story of his birth and the weeks that followed is still tough for Sarah, but she knows there's only one hospital she would go to if she decides to try for another baby. "I'm so glad I went to Saint Joseph," she says. "I had so many friends who recommended it to me before I had Mac, and now I do the same thing. From labor and delivery to NICU, they all just made us feel like we could ask anything, no matter how many times, and they would take the time to explain it. They made sure we felt valued and heard." THEY WERE SO EDUCATION-MINDED, WHICH IS A BIG DEAL FOR ME, MAKING SURE WE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON EVERY DAY, WHAT TECHNIQUES THEY WERE USING, WHAT THE NEXT STEPS LOOKED LIKE, WHAT THE SCHEDULED TIMELINE WAS. IT MADE THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE SO MUCH EASIER AND REALLY HELPED EASE MY ANXIETY.

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