New Capital Campaign to Grow Obstetrics Department at Grinnell Regional Medical Center
(Grinnell, IA – June 20, 2023) UnityPoint Health® – Grinnell Regional Medical Center (GRMC) Foundation announces the launch of a new capital campaign, Delivering Our Future. The campaign is focused on raising funds for GRMC’s obstetrics (OB) department to add a fourth labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum (LDRP) room and update the existing rooms.
“For 44 years I’ve had the privilege of helping parents navigate the miracle of childbirth at GRMC. I’m honored to be part of a truly passionate team that provides the best care possible to everyone who enters our doors,” says Sheryl Baarda, RNC, OB nurse manager at GRMC. “We continue to see an increase of families choosing to have their babies at GRMC. An additional LDRP room and resources are necessary to keep up with the demand of our communities and our hospital.”
In 2022, 210 babies were born at GRMC and the upward trend is expected to continue due to additional OB providers and an increase of patients seen at the UnityPoint Health – Grinnell Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN) Clinic. Patient visits to the OBGYN Clinic in 2022 increased by more than 60% over the preceding year, and in 2021, visits nearly doubled those in 2020.
“Patient- and family-centered care is a primary focus at GRMC,” says Elizabeth Tigges, DO, FACOG. “LDRP rooms allow women in labor to experience the entire childbirth experience in one room and provides space for each baby to remain in the room with his or her family. Adding a fourth LDRP room to accommodate the increase in number of births at GRMC will significantly reduce the need to move mothers and babies to a different room after delivery on the OB unit’s busiest days, providing a less stressful recovery and improving the postpartum experience for the entire family.”
In 2013, there were 79 Iowa hospitals with OB units; today, there are only 56. This equates to a decrease of nearly 30 percent. In a time when OB departments are closing, GRMC is growing to meet the needs of the families in Poweshiek County and the surrounding areas. Donations to the Delivering Our Future campaign can help the parents and babies who live in our rural communities have access to the care they need and deserve – close to home.
“GRMC’s commitment to ensure moms in our region have access to high-quality maternal health services remains steadfast because we believe it is fundamental to our communities and to our mission,” says Jennifer Havens, RN, MHA, FACHE, chief executive officer at GRMC. “Philanthropic support is vitally important to meeting the needs of the families we serve.”
“Our granddaughter, Josie, and my brother, Bob, were born in a Grinnell hospital,” says Debby Pohlson, Chair of the GRMC Foundation Board of Directors. “I’m so grateful for the excellent care that was provided. I look forward to future generations being born at GRMC because we worked together to support this critically important project.”
The fundraising goal for the Delivering Our Future campaign is $2 million. Early support was received from Echo Jansen and the late Larry Jansen with their $50,000 pledge announced in 2022. Additionally, the Board of Directors of GRMC Foundation voted to designate the GRMC Endowment’s recent spendable distribution totaling $307,000 to this project.
The Delivering Our Future campaign is an opportunity for the community to philanthropically support GRMC’s strategy to renovate and optimize the existing OB space. Contact GRMC’s Director of Development, Donna Fischer, at (641) 236-2079 or donna.fischer@unitypoint.org to learn more or donate.
Believe what you do makes a difference because it does. Visit www.unitypoint.org/giving/grinnell-regional-medical-center-foundation for more information about the GRMC Foundation or to make a gift.
New LDRP Room 1 – Birth Parent View: This architectural rendering shows the new LDRP room from the patient’s point of view. To the left of the bed is the changing table and the doors to the hallway. Directly ahead is the infant warmer and the wall behind it provides a sink and storage. The door to the right of the infant warmer opens to the ADA compliant bathroom. The larger room size allows for the door to swing open wide enough for easier access to the bathroom.
New LDRP Room 2 – Baby View: This architectural rendering of the new LDRP room shows the patient bed positioned in front of a wall that provides access to required gasses such as oxygen. Current codes have increased the number of gasses to be available in LDRP rooms. To the right of the bed is the fetal monitor. To the left of the bed is a couch which provides more seating for family members. A recliner is in the corner for the new mom to sit in while bonding with her baby.
