LewisGale celebrates a record-breaking year for their neo-natal unit.
If you’re wondering just how those stay-at-home couples have been entertaining themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic, look no further than the neo-natal center at LewisGale Medical Center in Salem for clues.
The regional hospital broke its record of babies born there as 2021 ended. From January 1 to December 31, 2021, a total of 1,181 babies were delivered in a single year, the most in the hospital’s 112-year history. For those of you who are math challenged, that’s 3.25 babies a day, 22.5 a week, a full kindergarten class a week in about five years.
“Our labor and delivery teams provide our community with high-quality services in a patient-centered environment, to ensure they are comfortable with their care and treatment plan,” says Lea Lee, chief nursing officer.
The previous birth record was set in 1995, with 1,075 babies born in a 12-month period.
“Just as every baby is unique, so is every delivery,” says Lisa Wade, maternal care services director. “We provide a customized birthing experience that begins long before the first contraction and continues well after delivery.”
The news comes as the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) recently approved the facility’s Certificate of Public Need (COPN) for a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) as well as the construction completion of its Labor and Delivery wing. Renovations included upgrades to delivery suites, patient rooms, and new birthing tubs.
About the Writer:
Dan Smith is an award-winning Roanoke-based writer/author/photographer and a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame (Class of 2010). He has authored eight books, including the upcoming novel out in Summer 2022, NEWS! He is founding editor of a Roanoke-based business magazine and a former Virginia Small Business Journalist of the Year (2005). His new novel is NEWS! from Propertius Press.
