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Little hands. Little noses. Even teeny, tiny toes. Newborns always get "oohs" and "aahs."
We do more than just "ooh" and "aah" at The Children's Hospital at Saint Francis. Babies born prematurely or with serious medical problems receive the best possible chance for a normal, healthy life in our Eastern Oklahoma Perinatal Center (EOPC). The EOPC is a progressive regional newborn intensive care unit. Whether your infant was delivered at Saint Francis, or transported from a surrounding hospital by the Saint Francis neonatal transport team, he or she will receive the most sophisticated medical care available in the EOPC.
The EOPC Staff
The EOPC staff is made up of a team of care providers. This team consists of board-certified neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners, pediatric residents from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in Tulsa and family practice residents.
Other pediatric specialists assist in providing the very best care for your infant, if needed. These include pediatric surgeons, pediatric cardiologists, neurologists and ophthalmologists. Your obstetrician and/or perinatologist may also visit the unit to check your progress of that of your baby.
The social worker is an important support person for families who have infants in the EOPC. Social workers are skilled in counseling you and your family and can also help with lodging requests, financial concerns and scheduling conferences with your baby's doctors.
In addition to the more than 90 nurses working in the EOPC, the unit's clinical manager, respiratory therapists, developmental specialists, discharge coordinator, lactation consultant, laboratory technologists, pharmacists and other support personnel provide the comprehensive care critically ill infants need.
Special Services
Babies with severe lung disease benefit from the EOPC's Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Unit. This innovative life support unit - the only system of its kind in northeastern Oklahoma and one of only a few in the country - temporarily breathes and pumps blood for the baby while the baby's lungs rest and develop.
Apnea Intervention Monitoring Program (AIM) is available for infants who have had interruptions in breathing. A neonatologist supervises the sleep studies used to develop appropriate treatment plans and consults with pediatricians regarding the findings. If a home monitor is required, special training will prepare you for using the equipment. The AIM neonatologist also monitors your infant's progress over several months.
"TLC" and Much, Much More
Technology at its finest. But don't forget the "TLC." Your baby and family will receive care beyond the medical boundaries in a caring, family-centered atmosphere. We want you to get to know your son or daughter. As your baby gains strength, you may help with holding and feeding and progress to diapering and bathing. The entire staff is eager to help you and answer any questions you may have.
Please feel free to bring booties, shirts, gowns and one or two small toys. However, we cannot be responsible for misplaced or lost items. Because of the possibility of breakage or loss, please do not bring any expensive items.
Taking a newborn home after illness can create both excitement and apprehension for parents. Our staff helps ease your fears about the transition from hospital to home by offering classes about medication and special needs. You can even spend a night or two in a pre-discharge room, where you can "practice" taking care of your new baby just steps away from the nursing staff.
EOPC's Developmental Follow-Up Clinic
EOPC's Developmental Follow-Up Clinic is your resource long after baby has left the EOPC. It will help identify and overcome developmental challenges your child may face throughout childhood.
The Follow-Up Clinic maximizes your child's long-term developmental potential with regular assessments and intervention. It is the only comprehensive developmental follow-up program of its kind in this region offering expertise from a developmental pediatrician and specialists.
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