Request From a Current Client

I received an email from Lorna Mason, a current "ESCbC" client, and am posting it on her request. She voices her concern over perceived lack of support for the midwives from St. Vincents. If you share her concerns, she encourages you to contact Karen Milano, Administrative Director of the Department of Medicine, at 212.604.7651

Hi Kristen:

I have become increasingly disheartened by the lack of support St. Vincent's is giving to the midwives. I recently had a conversation with Stacy where it became clear that sometimes St Vincent's is not giving the the midwives the needed nursing staff and the result is that birthing or post partum mothers are transferred into the St Vincent's side of operations and taken out of the midwives birthing rooms and put into either a labor and delivery room or a postpartum room. To make matters worse if you are transferred to a semi-private post partum room and a overnight stay is required then your partner is forced to leave between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am. This is wholly unacceptable.

The midwives are of course frustrated and I as a patient feel I have no recourse. Stacy suggested we contact Karen Milano one of the hospital administrators and I will do so tomorrow. I was hoping to get word out to other pregnant women under the care of the midwives and if we can work together perhaps we can get some more support for the midwives at St. Vincent's, and ensure that we have the birthing experience that we had hoped for when we signed on with ESCBC in the first place.

Thanks,
Lorna Mason

Posted by kstehle at 11:54 AM in Transition of Care | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Sunday, August 31, 2003

Alternate Midwifery and Birth Center Practices in NYC

Due to the recent changes in practice setting and protocols, we feel obligated to provide you with a list of other providers and settings that you may wish to consider as alternates.

* - denotes practices that accept medicaid/PCAP

In-Hospital Birth Centers

Long Island College Hospital

• Midwifery Practice (clinical director Debbie Paley, CNM) 718-780-1972
• Joan Bryson, CNM* (Also home births, Brooklyn BC) 718-788-0595
• Joanne Middleton, CNM 718-375-9268
• Bernadith Russell, MD 718-780-1972
• Eden Fromberg, MD 718-780-1972

St. Lukes/Roosevelt (W 50s)

• CBS Midwifery (Barbara Sellars, CNM & Elizabeth Boyce, CNM) 212-366-4699
• Sylvie Blaustein, CNM 212-957-3006
• Georgia Rose, CNM (Office in Riverdale) 718-543-9000
• Midwifery Services (Clinical Director: Barbara Brennan, CNM) 212-877-5556

Bellevue/Gouverneur Birth Center (E 20's)

• Midwifery Practice* (clinical director: Richard Jennings, CNM) 212-925-5000

Home Birth Midwives

• Miriam Schwarzchild, CNM 718-369-0769
• Cara Muhlhahn, CNM (on Vacation until 8/31) 212-388-1837
• JJB Midwifery (Martine Jean-Baptiste, CNM & Karen Jefferson, CM) (also deliver at St. Vincent’s, LICH) 212-769-4578 or 718-230-4789
• Sandra Fields, CNM 212-877-3181
• Joan Bryson, CNM* (also delievers at LICH, Brooklyn BC) 718-788-0595
• Sakina O’Uhuru, CNM 212-696-7996
• Jeanette Breen, CNM (Mostly Long Island) 516-223-1251

Free Standing Birth Centers

Brooklyn Birth Center

• Midwifery Practice (clinical director: Kathy Abelson, CNM) 718-376-6655
• Joan Bryson* (also delivers at LICH BC, home) 718-788-0595
• Rachel Gordon, CNM (Also delivers at Methodist) 718-258-2175 or 718-677-1710

Morris Heights Childbearing Center (The Bronx)

• Birth Center Practice* (director: Annette Clark) 718-716-2229

Posted by kstehle at 12:13 AM in Transition of Care | Permalink | TrackBack

Saturday, August 30, 2003

Continuous Midwifery Coverage May Be Interrupted In the First Week

I am posting this on behalf of the ESCbC Midwives:

To All of Our Clients:

We regret to inform you that over the coming week the ESCbC midwives may not be able to provide continuous midwifery coverage for our clients.

We have been required to submit urine samples for toxicology testing as part of our positions with St. Vincent's Faculty Practice, however notification of the hospital's mandate was only communicated to us on Thursday afternoon, August 28th. Due to the time it takes to process these tests, combined with the holiday weekend, 3 of the 4 midwives will not have been tested and processed in time for the transition of care to St. Vincent's on September 1st. Despite the oversight by St. Vincent's administration, they are unwilling to make an exception.

Please accept our apolgies and please know that we are working to resolve this issue as soon as possible.

Posted by kstehle at 10:09 PM in Transition of Care | Permalink | TrackBack

Friday, August 29, 2003

Well Woman Practice Update

Some patients have written and asked if I will be continuing to see well woman clients at St. Vincent's.

Just to clarify my practice is not being transitioned to St. Vincent's. As the primary well woman services provider at the birthcenter, I am working to establish a private practice at a new facility. I hope to have details in the coming week or so.

UPDATE:Information on my practice, Chelsea Well Woman Care, can be found here.

Posted by kstehle at 09:28 AM in Transition of Care | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

ESCbC Midwives' New Address and Phone Number

As of September 2nd 2003 the midwives' practice will be moving. Here is their new contact information to make appointments and to reach a midwife.

Faculty Practice Office
32 West 18th Street, 5th floor
(between 5th & 6th Aves.)
(212) 647-6490

Posted by kstehle at 08:15 AM in Transition of Care | Permalink | TrackBack

Changes in Practice As We Move from ESCbC to the Hospital Birth Center

I'm posting this on behalf of the ESCbC midwives:

First, we'd just like to say that the St. Vincent's administration has done a tremendous amount of work in a extremely short amount of time. The letter of employment came through. The construction began 2 days ago on the tubs (8/27/03). The move will happen on 9/2/03.

It's important to note that we will not be bringing all of the protocols (ways of practicing) from Elizabeth Seton. We are now employees of the faculty practice at St. Vincent's, and therefore under the direction of the Director of the OB department. While we don't have a complete list of changes for the practice, these are some of the protocols that differ from your previous expectations from an out of hospital birth center:

• All clients must be seen by a doctor in the faculty practice during their pregnancy.
• Upon admission, all clients must have a period of 20-30 minutes on the electronic fetal monitor demonstrating fetal well being. This will determine whether the client will be admitted to the birth center with intermittent monitoring or the labor and delivery floor with continuous monitoring.
• If your water breaks before labor starts, you will be asked to come to the hospital immediately. If labor does not start within 6 hours, you must be transferred to labor and delivery for induction.
• The progress of labor will be evaluated with vaginal exams every 2 - 3 hours.
• There can be no births in the water at this time. However, labor in the tub is permitted.
• Current hospital policy only permits 2 support persons in the labor room or birth center (excluding nurse and midwife). Siblings are allowed if they have had a class and have a support person. These policies may change.
• You will be expected to stay at least 12 hours post partum. A pediatrician must examine and discharge the baby. Because the pediatricians usually examine the babies in the morning, depending on the time of the birth, you may need to stay more than 12 hours.

Posted by kstehle at 08:06 AM in Transition of Care | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack

Wednesday, August 27, 2003

Record Release Forms Needed ASAP

It has just come to our attention that ALL clients need to fill out an authorization for release of records, even if you are continuing with the midwives' practice at the 18th St. location. The forms will be available at the meeting Wednesday 8/27 8pm, or can be filled out at the center at any time during the day. You can also send or fax us (212.367.8691) a written request, stating that you would like a copy of your records released to "The WHS Midwives at 18th St.," to another provider, or to yourself. The request does NOT need to be made on an official form. However, in order for your HIV results to be included with the chart, please note "include HIV results" on any request. There will be no charge for receiving a copy of your records.

Posted by kstehle at 07:20 PM in Transition of Care | Permalink | TrackBack

Monday, August 25, 2003

Important New Information Regarding Transition of Care

Update: MEETING RESCHEDULED The Wed. August 27 meeting at 6 pm has been rescheduled DEFINITIVELY for 8 pm. MANY APOLOGIES for the confusion about the time.

The ESCbC Midwives will be hosting a meeting to discuss new information regarding the transition of care. If you attended a previous informational session, please note that we will be covering important, new and updated information. All are strongly encouraged to attend.

Update: TOURS CANCELLED Unfortunately (and fortunately) tours of the St. Vincent's facilities have had to be cancelled for the time being. This is because construction work starts today on the plumbing for the tubs. Tours will be rescheduled as soon as possible -- stay tuned! Again, many apologies for the last-minute notice.

The birthcenter is located at 222 W 14th Street in Manhattan between 7th and 8th Avenues. Closest subway stops are the A, C, E, F, 1, 2, 3, 9, V lines at 14th Street.

Posted by kstehle at 10:27 PM in Transition of Care | Permalink | TrackBack

Saturday, August 16, 2003

Update For Current Clients: The St. Vincent's Option

I'm posting this on behalf of the ESCbC Midwives:

St. Vincent's Hospital has offered four full-time positions to the midwives at ESCbC.  They have also offered to transform several rooms into a birth center like space and to allow us to offer prenatal care at SVH offices on 18th Street.  This would enable clients to continue care with us if they so choose.  Our current understanding is that this is a temporary solution (guaranteed for approximately 3-4 months -- the official end date is still to be determined) but that if we attract enough clients to sustain the practice there may be the possibility of continuing.  We have yet to receive a written offer of employment, but expect such an offer by the end of the week beginning August 18th.

Many details, including the availability of tubs in each room, remain to be worked out.  Please come to the information sessions held at the birth center sceduled for Tuesday 8/19 at 8pm and Friday 8/22 at 10:00am and 6pm.

We are also working on setting up a meeting for clients to talk with St. Vincent's Hospital representatives about the hospital birth option as well as the malpractice insurance situation.  A meeting time will be posted here as soon as it is confirmed.

Updates about the "Saint Vincent's Option" will be posted here as soon as they become available.

We thank all of our incredible clients for their patience, support, and inspiration as we work quickly in this crisis situation.

Posted by kstehle at 09:20 PM in Transition of Care | Permalink | TrackBack