Hudson Valley raises the bar for care

ewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital recently celebrated the opening of a new state-of-the-art birthing center, featuring a patient-focused design that enhances care and comfort for expectant moms and newborns. The new birthing center also offered the perfect opportunity to build a comprehensive midwifery program, something that Tracy Bohn Hemmerdinger, MD, Chief of Ob/Gyn at NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley, says the community has long desired.

“With the opening of our new labor floor, it’s really a perfect environment for midwifery, with bright, private rooms, soaking tubs, wireless monitors, and lots of space,” Dr. Hemmerdinger said. “I learned the community would love midwifery care, but they wanted a safe setting, where there would be high-level obstetricians as well as anesthesiologists and other specialists they may need. We’re fortunate that as a community hospital within an academic medical center, we can offer the best of both worlds.”

Since joining Columbia in August 2021, Dr. Hemmerdinger’s focus has been on building up a team of providers and support staff who can provide high quality, round-the-clock care for patients. In building the team, Dr. Hemmerdinger has implemented quality committees and frequent interdisciplinary team huddles on labor and delivery in order to ensure the highest level of organization and safety.

For pregnant patients, the hospital offers a number of advantages. Mothers and their newborns have access to subspecialty physicians across Columbia University Irving Medical Center, where specialty teams, including Ob/Gyns, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, and neonatologists, work collaboratively to provide a supportive journey from prenatal care to childbirth, newborn care and postpartum follow up. The hospital also provides a full range of services patients may need before, during, and after childbirth, including birthing classes and breastfeeding support groups. 

“Hudson Valley has that small community feel, where we all know each other by name and face, but it’s supported by a much larger organization,” Dr. Hemmerdinger said. “We have at our fingertips specialists in maternal-fetal medicine, oncology, any medical subspecialty you could possibly need access to. Patients can get the community experience they want, but if something is required at a higher level, it’s very easily obtained.”

NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley is certified by Baby-Friendly USA, a joint initiative of the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund that supports mothers who choose to breastfeed their babies. In addition, its nursing team has received national recognition for excellence in nursing from the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program.

“I want the people of Hudson Valley and the surrounding area to feel they can attain safe, respectful, high-level Ob/Gyn care in their community,” Dr. Hemmerdinger said. “We don’t just have a beautiful new labor floor, and we also have comprehensive gynecology including robotic surgery. There’s no need for patients in our area to travel to the city to get high-quality care – we can meet their needs right here at Hudson Valley Hospital.”