Bartlett Regional | House Calls | Fall 2018

I don’t think we can say enough about our positive experience at Bartlett. The birthing units are beautiful and incredibly comfortable, and they have all that you need to work through labor in a variety of ways. They have a knowledgeable staff that guides you through this process—a comprehensive team of people caring for you. Trusting the person that’s there essentially delivering your baby, along with the physician, is huge. As a health care provider, I know how integral trust is to a functional patient- provider relationship. And they checked that box tenfold. To have everything come together where you have this beautiful experience with this knowledgeable staff made it one of the most incredible experiences of our life. —Bea Dietrick, new mom and family nurse practitioner Leading a passionate Bartlett Beginnings’ new director looks forward to continuing the unit’s Baby-Friendly care and educational programs Michelle Van Kirk had three children at the Bartlett Beginnings obstetrics (OB) unit—a boy nine years ago and twins, a boy and a girl, seven years ago. She is a registered nurse who has been working at Bartlett Regional Hospital for 16 years, mainly in critical care. She also worked in the OB, med-surg, emergency and staff education departments. Van Kirk is now the new director of Bartlett Beginnings, overseeing an average of 25 deliveries a month. In 2017, 351 babies were born at Bartlett Beginnings. She took over for Karen White, who ran the department for more than a decade. “I’m trying to continue the legacy that Karen set forward,” Van Kirk says. White was instrumental, along with the OB team, in leading the department toward becoming certified with the national organization Baby-Friendly USA. A Baby-Friendly OB department follows specific guidelines to ensure the highest standards possible are met for the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding. Bartlett Beginnings offers a Lactation Clinic staffed by international board-certified lactation consultants with specialized education, skills and knowledge to help mothers and infants breastfeed. An asset to the community As the director, Van Kirk oversees well- established and free outpatient classes for parents-to-be and new parents, such as the monthly Healthy Pregnancy Seminar, the Toddler Play Group and Just for Dads. “Those classes are such a huge asset— and all under the umbrella of Bartlett Beginnings,” Van Kirk says. She feels lucky to be in her position with a “team that is so passionate about what they do. So it’s not hard to lead them.” welcomes another happy new family NEED A FAMILY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN or an OB-GYN ? Find one on page 14 . Bartlett Beginnings 4 House Calls Fall 2018