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Maternity and Pediatrics
Clinical Services List
When could
it possibly be more important to “have it your way” than during the process of
childbirth? At Cayuga Medical
Center, we understand that decisions about where and how to give birth to your
baby are among the most important considerations you face. We also understand
that as an expectant mother, you and your family need more than expert medical
care: you need support, compassion, information, and privacy. You need to be in
the driver’s seat; to have choices. And you deserve to be cared for by
professionals who are knowledgeable and passionate about what they do, in a
setting that is warm and inviting. We receive
equally positive feedback from surveys conducted by the Joint Commission on
Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, NYS Perinatal
Data System and Regional Perinatal Center, NYS
Department of Health, and from our own internal quality assurance auditing
system. With input
from our community, medical staff, and nursing team, we have developed a
comprehensive, family-centered approach to childbirth. We invite expectant parents
to take the tour of our Maternal-Child Health Unit and to include us as you
plan your childbirth. For more
information about birth and newborn care at Cayuga Medical Center and our
Pediatrics Unit, click on
the links below. ● Patient
accommodations in our Maternal-Child Health Unit ● Creating
your individualized birth plan ● Board-certified
physicians and certified nurse midwives ● Pain-relief options and labor analgesia ● Availability
of VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean section) ● Certified
Level II Nursery and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ● Nurse
lactation specialists and our designation as a “best practices hospital” for
breastfeeding At Cayuga Medical
Center, we listen carefully to what mothers have to tell us and we deliver the
services that matter to them. Women tell us they want a high-quality,
full-service hospital that is both convenient and state-of-the-art. They want
care that is family-oriented and responsive to individual needs. They want the
support of skilled professionals who enjoy caring for and teaching their
patients. The rooms in
our Maternal Child Health Unit reflect your input. They are appropriately
equipped and beautifully appointed for expectant mothers to labor, deliver,
recover, and receive postpartum care without being moved. We’ve also provided a
whirlpool tub on the unit because many
laboring women find significant pain relief in a whirlpool. Drawing up a
birth plan, in advance, that reflects your own health-care, cultural, ethnic,
and spiritual preferences can be an extremely helpful process for families.
When a mother, her partner or support person, and her caregiver discuss the various
choices and decisions relating to labor, delivery, postpartum and newborn care,
the result can be a very individualized, satisfying childbirth experience. Your
local obstetrician or nurse midwife will give you a comprehensive notebook of
information from our Maternal Child Health Unit to help you create your birth
plan. While it may
not be possible to anticipate and plan for every single contingency as you draw
up your individual birth plan, putting your preferences down in writing can
help you consider important choices ahead of time. As you prepare for the
arrival of your new family member, we encourage you to take a tour of our
Maternal Child Health Care Unit. You can schedule a tour by calling (607)
274-4408. At Cayuga
Medical Center, board-certified obstetricians and certified nurse midwives are
granted privileges to deliver babies. Our
experienced obstetrics staff We encourage
you to ask our nurses about the availability of “mother-baby nursing” or
“couplet-care,” in which your nurse cares for both you and your baby. This
approach to care enhances individualized, family-centered care. Our
family-centered philosophy also means that under typical circumstances, mothers
can have their partner or support person stay overnight with them. Babies room
in, as well. This provides a great chance for you to get acquainted with you
new son or daughter and to have the support of staff while learning to take
care of your newborn baby. Because the
birth experience is different for every woman, it is a good idea to explore in
advance with your doctor or nurse midwife the availability of analgesia for
labor. There are many different approaches to pain relief, ranging from
breathing and relaxation exercises and massage to intravenous medications and
regional blocks. For optimum safety, at Cayuga Medical Center anesthesia is
administered only by board-certified anesthesiologists. Although VBAC is now
considered to be a safe childbirth choice for many mothers, not all hospitals
offer expectant mothers this service. Providing a stand-by OR team and
anesthesiologist is an added expense that many hospitals are not willing to
incur. At Cayuga Medical Center, our obstetricians work closely with our
anesthesiologists and the operating room staff to coordinate care. This makes
it possible for OR team members to come into the hospital whenever a patient is
planning a VBAC. Our caregivers are committed to offering a variety of birthing
options to the community we serve and we have done everything we can to
accommodate this need.
Our certified
Level 2 Special Care Nursery and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are
staffed by a topnotch board-certified neonatologist Click
here for Srisatish Devapatla,
MD’s bio. and experienced registered nurses and respiratory therapists who
have completed advanced training in the care of premature and high-risk
infants. Currently, our Special Care Nursery is caring for babies born up to
eight weeks premature, or at a minimum weight of 1,500 grams (the equivalent of
3 pounds, 5 ounces). In consultation with pediatric
cardiologists at Crouse and University hospitals in Syracuse, we also provide tele-echocardiograms. This service facilitates immediate
cardiac evaluations without transferring newborns to out-of-town centers. Babies weighing less than 1,500 grams or who need surgery are
transferred to a regional medical center with Level 3 Nursery designation. Because
breastfeeding is an important aspect of newborn health, our nurses in Maternal
Child Care are experienced lactation counselors. Most mothers and babies need
to learn how to breastfeed, even though it’s perfectly natural, and coaching
from an experienced lactation specialist can make a world of difference. We have one of the highest success rates of breastfeeding in the
state and are considered a “best-practice hospital” for breastfeeding. We offer monthly workshops to the public on a variety of
child-health topics: ● Expectant Parent Workshop ● Siblings are Special, for children ages three to eight years who are
about to become big brothers and sisters ● Breastfeeding Plan for Success, for new and experienced moms and their
partners ● Infant Care and Safety, on the basic s of care, feeding, and safety of
your baby in the first few weeks. For more information call (607) 274-4408. On this unit
our pediatricians, experienced registered nurses, and respiratory therapists
care for: ● Surgical
patients (from the age of one month and older) ● Children with
acute illness, congenital anomalies, chronic illness, seizure disorders, and
trauma Among our board-certified pediatricians, we have subspecialists
in pediatric infectious disease, pediatric gastroenterology, neonatology, and
asthma and allergy. Our Pediatricians Our Ear, Nose, Throat Specialists |
We welcome
more than 900 newborn babies a year at Cayuga Medical Center. 
At Cayuga Medical
Center, we believe in family-centered care. Our physicians and nurses encourage
mothers to be actively involved in all decision making about your own birth
experience and the care of your newborn. For example, most women in labor find
that having one or two support people with them 
We know that
mothers delivering twins or premature babies want local high-tech services available
to support the special needs of newborns at risk, and they want answers to
important questions right away. 
Unlike many
hospitals, Cayuga Medical Center has a dedicated Maternal-Child Care Unit with
a discrete Pediatrics Unit. 
