Bassett Birthing Center

At Bassett Medical Center, the health and safety of you and your baby are our first priority. Our comprehensive maternal health program includes prenatal care and health screenings, educational programs, labor and delivery, and neonatal and postpartum care.

Our experienced obstetricians, nurse-midwives and nurses are here to provide the very best care to make your pregnancy and delivery as safe, comfortable and fulfilling as possible.”

“Our culture in the Birthing Center is one of collaboration,” explained Robin Stasilli, RN, nurse manager of the Bassett Birthing Center. “Our patients are at the center of that collaboration. Our team is here to support them with the goal of having happy and healthy babies.”

The Bassett Birthing Center

The Birthing Center at Bassett Medical Center located on the third floor of Bassett Medical Center’s inpatient building, allows for the highest standards of care for women and their new babies, and allows staff to provide patients with the highest level of compassionate care and make the patients’ stay as comfortable as possible.

The patient-centered, family-friendly unit consists of four labor, delivery and recovery (LDR) rooms, eight private postpartum rooms, an operating room, a nursery with a special care nursery room and other staff and support areas. Laboring mothers will appreciate the presence of a hydrotherapy tub in each of the LDR rooms. Décor has been designed to be soothing and naturalistic.

The state-of-the-art Birthing Center allows staff to provide an individualized approach to each woman. Staff can offer a non-interventive approach and can quickly respond to any emergency. After the birth, mothers will move to a private postpartum room, each with a comfortable space to accommodate mother, baby and family. The Birthing Center nursery is very secure. To control access, the only entrance is through the nurses’ station. The entrance is secured through a security system, the entrance however is not through the nurses station. We have a locked unit. Only designated employees can gain access. All others and visitors need to be “buzzed” in.

An Experienced Collaborative Team

The Birthing Center has maintained very high patient satisfaction rates. Since it opened, families across the region choose to deliver here because they know that the staff is fully committed to preparing parents for the great joy and challenge of a baby.

Bassett Medical Center is staffed by experienced obstetrical nurses, nurse-midwives, as well as an Ob/Gyn hospitalist. Whether delivered by a nurse-midwife, or hospitalist, our philosophy of care is the same. Women create their own birth plans; minimal intervention, extensive labor support and open communication are our standard. Read more about our ObGyn hospitalists and nurse-midwives here.

The nurse-midwives at Bassett were the first rural practice to receive the Golden Commendation from the American College of Nurse-Midwives for 25 years of service. The Birthing Center continues to have the best clinical outcomes in the Northeastern region of New York, including:

• In 2011, there were 823 births at Bassett Medical Center.
• The C-Section rate was 22.3%.
• 2.5% of deliveries were vacuum assisted.
• 26 women who had a previous C-Section opted to attempt a VBAC, vaginal birth after C-Section. 81% of these women were successful.
• 81.4% of new mothers initiated breastfeeding, a key indicator for infant health and well-being.

“Rooming in with baby and nursing care at the bedside are two extremely important aspects of care,” explained Birthing Center nurse manager Robin Stasilli. “All of our nurses provide labor, neonatal and post-partum care. We have a model that you just don’t see at many other hospitals.”

Birthing Center Hours & Policies

While in labor
During her admission, the laboring mother may have three visitors. Other family members and friends will be asked to wait in the family lounge. The admitting nurse will give the laboring mother three "passes" for her to give out as she chooses.

If a cesarean section becomes necessary, the laboring mother may have one support person accompany her to the operating room. This is subject to approval by the Department of Anesthesia.

Postpartum
We happily welcome one primary support person to stay 24 hours a day with a new mother.

We welcome all other visitors between 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Quiet hours, which allows new families the chance to rest, will be between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

No visitors will be allowed into the Birthing Center, other than the primary support person, during this time.