Saint Luke’s South Hospital Adds Certified Nurse Midwife to Range of Maternity Services
Overland Park, Kan. (PRWEB) June 23, 2014 -- Saint Luke’s South Hospital’s Maternity Center recently expanded its services by adding the hospital’s first certified nurse midwife.
Diane Utz, A.P.R.N., CNM, has previously worked as a doula, childbirth educator, and labor and delivery nurse. She will deliver babies at the hospital and provide well-woman care at Saint Luke’s Medical Group–Southridge.
“Obstetricians still deliver most babies, but we know more women are looking for low-intervention birthing options than ever before,” said Jani Johnson, Saint Luke’s South Hospital president & CEO. “We’re committed to delivering the experiences our moms want, and by adding midwifery care, we’re providing them with a new option.”
The American College of Nurse-Midwives says a growing percentage of American births are attended by a certified nurse midwife. The latest full-year numbers from 2011 show that midwives were present at nearly 8% of all U.S. births, with more than 95% of those deliveries happening at a hospital.
“There is a perception that nurse midwives deliver babies at your home, and that only doctors deliver babies at the hospital,” said Utz. “The fact is, only a small percentage of midwife deliveries happen at home. Most women choose the added safety and security of a hospital environment.”
Saint Luke’s South Hospital offers the advantages of low nurse-to-patient ratios, while also providing access to the most advanced medical technology, if needed. The hospital’s Level IIIa Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is available for babies requiring the highest levels of attention and care.
For more information about Saint Luke’s South Hospital maternity services, visit saintlukeshealthsystem.org/SouthBaby, or call 913-317-7795. To schedule with Diane Utz, A.P.R.N., CNM, call 913-317-3200.
Saint Luke’s South Hospital is part of Saint Luke's Health System, which consists of 10 area hospitals and many primary care practices, and provides a range of inpatient, outpatient, and home care services. Founded as a faith-based, not-for-profit organization, our mission includes a commitment to the highest levels of excellence in health care and the advancement of medical research and education. The health system is an aligned organization in which the physicians and hospitals assume responsibility for enhancing the physical, mental, and spiritual health of people in the metropolitan Kansas City area and the surrounding region.
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Laurel Gifford, Saint Luke's Health System, +1 (816) 502-8532, [email protected]
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