10
GEORGETOWN HOSPITAL SYSTEM
GHS CEO Bruce Bailey (le ) and GHS Chief Operating O cer
Gayle Resetar (right), congratulate Lisa R. Maselli, MD, (center
le ) and Christine S. Gerber, MD, both of Carolina OB/GYN, for
winning the Lewis Blackman Patient Safety Award.
Doctors honored
Christine
S. Gerber, MD, and
Lisa R. Maselli, MD, of Carolina
OB/GYN, have delivered thousands
of babies during their careers. Who
better to oversee the birth in 2009 of the
Institute for Health Care Improvement
(IHI) Georgetown Hospital System
Perinatal Improvement Taskforce?
Drs. Gerber and Maselli, who
share a passion for women’s health
care, recognized the need to advance
obstetrical policies and care at
Georgetown Memorial Hospital and
Waccamaw Community Hospital.
A er attending a national IHI perinatal
meeting to establish a solid foundation
for the local Perinatal Improvement
Initiative, the pair mobilized a team of
nurses and other practitioners to work toward
adopting national standards and evidence-based
approaches to enhance and improve obstetrical
care.
Over the next three years, they updated
policies and practices, established goals, identi ed
resources, and developed and implemented
evidence-based standards and protocols to
systematize and evaluate obstetrical practices.
ey also were instrumental in the adaptation of
National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development terminology for interpretation of fetal
monitor tracings, and they instituted physician-led
multidisciplinary drills that test care teams during
critical patient needs.
Drs. Gerber and Maselli provided education and
coaching to other obstetricians, midwives, nursing
sta and hospital leadership. To establish a culture
of openness and seek patient input, they included
a patient in the Perinatal Improvement Team
meetings. eir e orts led to noted improvements,
including a reduction in the number of elective
deliveries prior to 39 weeks, sustained low C-section
rates, and enhanced documentation and education
for pregnancy care initiative
From le , Christine S. Gerber, MD, and Lisa R.
Maselli, MD, graciously accept their award.
e orts at Georgetown Memorial and Waccamaw
Community hospitals.
For their e orts in this program, the two
physicians received the Lewis Blackman Patient
Safety Award at the 6th annual South Carolina
Patient Safety Symposium held in April 2013.
Sure, she’s the one sporting that baby bump.
But you, too, have important work to do in
the months ahead. As a father-to-be, you
play a key role in supporting your partner and
helping to ensure a healthy pregnancy.
It takes two
Here are some of the ways experts say you can
be more involved.
Go to her prenatal care visits.
At one of
the earlier appointments, you may hear your
little one’s heartbeat. Later, you can even see
the baby—and perhaps learn whether you’re
having a girl or a boy.
Enroll in childbirth classes at the hospital.
It’s a great way to learn what will happen
during labor and delivery and how you can
help your partner when the time comes.
Don’t light up.
If you smoke, you may never
have a better reason to quit. Secondhand
smoke can harm your baby even before he or
she is born. In the meantime, be sure not to
smoke around your partner.
Help her have a healthy pregnancy.
There are a lot of other ways you can help
your partner and the baby stay healthy.
For example:
Eat a healthy diet together, and avoid
alcohol and illegal drugs so that it’s easier
for her to do the same.
Take walks together, as long as it’s OK with
her doctor. It’s a great way to bond and help
her get some healthy exercise.
Help her steer clear of things that may be
especially harmful to her now, such as
harsh chemicals. If you have a cat, don’t let
her empty the litter box.
Sources: March of Dimes; American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
A guy’s guide to
the next 9 months
Get ready for baby
Childbirth classes can help both mom
and dad prepare for baby. Sign up now
at
www.georgetownhospitalsystem.org/
PrenatalandInfantCareClasses
.
Daddy do’s
