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Some infants need longer-term care. The antepartum care team provides support for those mothers and families, often becoming close friends. "I personally have had an experience with a family that was here with an antepartum patient," Stockton says. "The mother delivered here, and the baby was in the NICU for many days. I still keep in touch with that family. We try to meet each other when they're in the area. And that's not just an experience I've had, it's an experience that many Crouse OB nurses have." Stockton says nurses become friends with former patients, and that patients routinely send Christmas cards and updates about their now-grown babies. ON THE SAME PAGE Even during low-risk births, it's important to have staff in sync. "When you have a patient who's laboring, you could spend significant time up there with the same people, and you really get to know each other and you also get to know your patients very well," Dr. Bartol says. " I think that makes the unit work really well. It's not just a place to clock in and clock out." During high-risk births, that cohesive unit is invaluable. Dr. Brown experienced one situation when a patient was transferred to Crouse from another hospital after the delivery took a serious turn. "The anesthesia team, NICU staff, nurses and I a ll com- municated before the patient's arrival," Dr. Brown says. "Then, as soon as the lab work and our initial evaluations were done, we were in the operating room ready to deliver the patient's baby. The ICU was notified in case the mother needed intensive care afterward. To have everyone on the same page, before the patient even arrived at the hospital — I think that that type of communication and that type of skill level is evident only at an institution like Crouse that has all the resources available around the clock." Those resources led Dr. Stanley 's wife to have her three children at Crouse. Dr. Bartol also delivered her three children at the hospital. "Clearly, I'm biased because I have chosen to work at Crouse, but I also chose to have my own children here," Dr. Bartol says. "I feel we're able to provide that higher level of care with excellence without patients feeling like we are trying to medicalize their care. We want our patients to follow their birth plans as safely as possible." That's what the Crouse camaraderie is all about. " We are ver y supportive of each other," Dr. Brown says. "Everyone truly wants what's best for patients because we take pride in following evidence-based medicine and providing compassionate care. I think patients truly do get a great experience when they deliver at Crouse." For more information on maternity services at Crouse, visit crouse.org/services/maternity. n A Regional Focus THE CROUSE HE A LTH'S Kienzle Family Maternity Center doesn't just ser ve Syracuse — it's also been the Regional Perinatal Center for Central New York since 1975, ser ving mothers and infants from a 14-county region. The program provides care and promotes healthy outcomes for mothers and babies during pregnancy, bir th and after, with a focus on high-risk pregnan- cies and children with special needs. Physicians across the region refer patients to Crouse, based on New York State's system for perinatal care, which delineates four different levels. A s the RPC, Crouse provides education, advice and suppor t to affiliate hospitals throughout the region. " I really enjoy working at Crouse Health, even when it's a stressful workday. It's a work environment that's conducive to taking care of patients and providing the best care possible." — MARIA CICIARELLI, MD, FACOG, PARTNER AT CNY WOMEN'S HEALTHCARE Maria Ciciarelli, MD, FACOG Dr. Bartol and George Stanley, MD 0 8❱❱❱❱❱ C O V E R S T O R Y