Norton Children’s opens Kentucky’s first dedicated fetal care center
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Families in south-central and western Kentucky now have a new option for when their unborn baby needs complex medical care.
According to Norton Children’s, the hospital opened its Norton Children’s Fetal Care Center in Louisville, offering technology that allows patients, family members and community physicians across the state to participate in consultations virtually.
The center is designed to be a regional destination for parents when their baby is diagnosed with a serious medical condition before birth, the hospital says.
“As the first of its kind in Kentucky, Norton Children’s Fetal Care Center is about expanding access to care and improving outcomes,” said Russell F. Cox, president and CEO, Norton Healthcare and Norton Children’s. “Our goal is always to keep families in their own communities. But when a pregnancy requires highly specialized care, we want to create a village of hope for moms and their babies facing the most complex medical cases.”
According to Norton Children’s, the center will combine pregnancy and fetal specialists, advanced imaging and family support services at one location.
Norton Children’s states the center will have advanced diagnostic rooms, family rooms, a nourishment room, provider workspaces and meeting space for families to sit down with specialists.
The team includes maternal-fetal medicine specialists, pediatric subspecialists, genetic counselors, social workers and nurse navigators who can diagnose, develop treatment plans and coordinate care, according to the hospital.
“Receiving unexpected news during pregnancy can be overwhelming,” said Tamina R. Singh, M.D., neonatologist and director of Norton Children’s Fetal Care Center. “Families need answers, support and a plan. The center brings all of those resources together so parents can focus on what matters most: their baby.”
The approximately $1.4 million project was made possible through the Norton Children’s Hospital Foundation and Norton Healthcare Foundation with support from Lois B. Wright, the Clark Family Foundation Inc. and an anonymous donor in honor of Campbell Kremer.
Though statistics are improving, Norton Children’s says Kentucky still faces maternal and infant health challenges. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 12% of Kentucky babies are born prematurely. The Commonwealth’s infant mortality rate also is higher than the national average.
