Employees Loyal to Emerson Hospital Clough Birthing Center

Warm, personalized care has been the hallmark of Emerson Hospital for more than 100 years. This tradition is appreciated by employees as well as patients, which is evidenced by more than a dozen staff members of the Emerson Hospital Clough Birthing Center who have delivered their own children at the unit in recent years.

“It makes me feel proud and humble to think of all our employees who have themselves depended on Emerson at some of the most vulnerable and precious times of their lives,” said Joanna Vallie, MSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, nurse director of obstetrical nursing at Emerson. In addition, many more have referred Emerson to family members and close friends.

“That says a lot about the Birthing Center,” she added, “and the trust we have in our co-workers.”

Lactation consultant Amy Lazaro, RN of Lunenberg has given birth to all three of her children at Emerson – the oldest two, 6-year-old William and nearly 4-year-old Mia, before she joined the staff two and a half years ago. Her youngest child, Emma, was born on Aug. 21, 2013.

Lazaro hadn’t been to Emerson before she selected Ingrid Balcomb, MD of AFA Obstetrics & Gynecology to deliver her children. Now she wouldn’t think of going anywhere else.

“I could sense my first time here that this is a group that truly cares about one another, and I can say that I’ve never seen co-workers treat each other better anywhere else,” said Lazaro, who worked in a cardiovascular inpatient unit at a Boston hospital before refocusing her career in maternity closer to home. “I thought, ‘Where better to work than the place where I delivered my kids and love?’ I was welcomed with open arms, and a tremendous amount of support, both personally and professionally.”

Despite her difficult delivery with Emma, Lazaro said she felt reassured rather than uncomfortable while sharing her most emotional and intimate moments with her co-workers. “You know what they’re capable of, so I felt like I couldn’t be in better hands,” she said. “They make you feel like a daughter or a sister, and that goes for all the patients. They want the very best for you.”

Emerson labor and delivery nurse Heather Baker, RN commutes 50 miles from her home in Athol because the family atmosphere among staff is so important to her. She recalls feeling so comfortable so quickly after beginning work there that she selected the physicians at Concord OB/GYN Associates to deliver her daughter. Seven months after joining the hospital, Micaela Grace Riel was born on December 22, 2012.

“When my water broke on a Friday night, I was happy to be coming in on my regular night shift, but honestly, I would have been comfortable with any of my co-workers caring for me and my baby,” Baker said, noting her appreciation that Richard Rubin, MD came in on his night off to deliver her baby. Two weeks later, Micaela returned to Emerson with her worried parents for an outpatient procedure.

“Again, the staff was outstanding,” Baker recalled. “It’s a wonderful feeling to be a recipient of the kind of care that I strive to give our patients and families each day.”

Ann Thomas, RN gave birth to daughter Norah on Oct. 12, 2012, just four months after she began working at Emerson as a labor and delivery nurse. The Marlborough resident is expecting her second child, who will also be delivered by Dr. Balcomb this May.

Thomas said she had always heard good things about Emerson from her mother, Ellen Santos, who taught childbirth classes for 20 years and worked in the post-partum unit. In fact, her own experiences have mirrored the hospital’s reputation for high-quality, personalized care.

“Besides the clinical expertise, all the nurses, midwives and doctors go above and beyond to ensure that patients have the birth experience they’re seeking,” said Thomas, noting that she was nervous that her first delivery required a scheduled Cesarean section.

“My co-workers were wonderful from start to finish, making me feel so special and cared for that it ended up being the best day ever,” she added. “It’s no surprise that so many people choose to deliver at Emerson. We don’t just care for patients; we provide full care in the development of families.”

The Emerson Hospital Clough Birthing Center features one-on-one nursing care in private, comfortable and secure labor and delivery rooms and private mother-baby recovery rooms. Certified breastfeeding consultants are close at hand, and 24-hour baby care is provided by board-certified pediatricians. The area’s only Special Care Level 2 Nursery is directed by a Massachusetts General Hospital neonatologist; and high-risk pregnancy services, including specialists from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, are also conveniently offered on-site at Emerson. For more information, visit www.emersonhospital.org.