Memorial Hospital Emergency Department Now Offers 24-hour OB for Pregnant Women
Memorial Hospital at Gulfport is the first hospital on the Mississippi Gulf Coast to offer a 24-hour Obstetrics Emergency Department (OBED) dedicated to pregnant women. The OBED is staffed with Board Certified OB/GYNs through the OB Hospitalist Group to provide care for pregnancy-related emergencies and to diagnose labor.
“This provides an elevated standard of care for our patients and positively impacts the lives of women, their babies and the families we serve,” said Memorial Chief Medical Officer Mark Gilbert, MD. The goal is to improve patient care for moms-to-be and reduce wait times at one of the region’s busiest emergency departments. “We care for many high-risk moms-to-be who face both physical and socioeconomic challenges. The addition of OBED will allow our dedicated medical staff to address these needs more efficiently,” said Dr. Gilbert.
Memorial is dedicating time, energy, and resources to improve birth outcomes, reduce health disparities, and improve maternal and infant health. Pregnancy emergencies can happen at any hour and can range from miscarriages or threat of a miscarriage, to elevated blood pressure, to more serious issues that require immediate surgery. Conditions commonly treated in an OBED include:
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding
- Complications associated with high-risk pregnancy
- Decreased fetal movement
- Increased blood pressure
- Preterm labor
- Ruptured membranes
The OBED program serves as an extension of the patient’s regular doctor. Hospitalists are physicians who specialize solely in caring for patients who are hospitalized, rather than those in a clinical or outpatient setting. Obstetrical (OB) hospitalists have additional training such as advanced fetal assessment and monitoring. In addition to handling deliveries, OB hospitalists assist with any issues and emergencies that may arise and provide several services including:
- Care in times of emergency prior to the arrival of a patient’s physician
- Support the care of high-risk pregnancy patients
- Deliver babies for patients who don’t have an obstetrician