900+ babies born in 2015 sets new record, spurs need for growth
Trinity Bettendorf is expecting … again. On Tuesday Trinity administrators and physicians announced yet another record for the hospital, which recorded 913 births in 2015, the most ever for the hospital and the first time it has crossed the 900-babies threshold.
And with such growth comes the news that Trinity Bettendorf will soon begin construction on a $5.5 million expansion that renovates almost 6,500 square feet of additional space to bring the overall BirthPlace unit to nearly 23,000 total square feet. The expansion is designed to not only accommodate an increased demand for services now but to also better coordinate care among the entire birthing services continuum to keep pace with future growth predicted for the area.
“Each year since opening, Trinity Bettendorf has experienced exponential growth that has far surpassed any of our predictions,” said Rick Seidler, UnityPoint Health – Trinity President & CEO. “Our presence in Bettendorf has created better health-care choices and resulted in real competition when it comes to quality, cost and access to services.
The confidence that new parents have shown in us by choosing Trinity Bettendorf re-affirms our belief that this hospital meets a community need. Ultimately this is at the heart of our mission – to improve the health of those in the communities we serve.”
Once completed, the unit will encompass the entire second floor of the patient tower in the hospital and will include:
· 16 private post-partum patient rooms, more than double its current total of 7
· 7 labor and delivery rooms
· 2 cesarean-section rooms, including one new surgery suite
· An expanded neonatal special care unit, doubling in size with both private and semi-private bays
· 4 triage bays staffed by one dedicated triage nurse
· Well-baby exam area
· Family lounge
“As we continue to grow, more and more babies will need special care, which means we need more space and the very latest equipment to provide it,” said Dr. Sarah Lentz-Kapua, neonatologist and medical director for Trinity’s neonatology team that provides round-the-clock coverage at both its Bettendorf and Moline campuses. The team provides prenatal consults for high-risk pregnancies and care for newborns 30 weeks and above in Bettendorf’s Level II NSCU. “When babies have the best beginnings, they tend to be healthier throughout their lives. This lowers the need for health care interventions and leads to reductions in health care costs, which builds a healthy, thriving community.”
Construction is set to begin in May 2016 with the renovation of space on the ground floor that will eventually become the home of the cardiac treatment unit, currently located on the second floor. BirthPlace, and all other areas impacted, will remain operational during all construction phases. The project is expected to be completed in early 2017.
Navigant Healthcare, one of the country’s top-ranked healthcare management consulting firms, has assisted Trinity in retaining the design services of Studio 483 Architects of Rock Island and Paragon Commercial Interiors of Davenport. Additionally, the engineering for the project is being provided by Rock Island firm KJWW Engineering. Russell Construction, a local Quad-Cities construction firm, has been chosen as the general contractor for constructing the expansion in partnership with local trade contractors.
The project is being funded through a combination of internal reserves and borrowing through Trinity’s parent company, UnityPoint Health. The Trinity Health Foundation also is conducting a $1.5 million capital campaign to support the expansion as well.
“People recognize that this project is not just good for the hospital but good for the community. By expanding the Trinity Bettendorf BirthPlace, we’ll be able to continue providing the exceptional care our growing community has come to expect from us,” said Marika Jones, President of the Trinity Health Foundation. “Having donors step forward to support these kinds of needs isn’t just making a difference now. It makes a difference for future generations as our area continues to grow.”
When Trinity Bettendorf opened on Feb. 18, 2004, it marked the first time that a baby could be born in a Bettendorf hospital in the city’s 100+-year history. In fact though, the hospital’s first baby wasn’t even born until the following day. During the 11 months the hospital first was open, 101 deliveries occurred. Just last year in 2014 Trinity Bettendorf saw nearly 800 deliveries, which was a record at the time.
At the time of the hospital’s debut, Woods and Poole Economics projected that Scott County was anticipated to show the greatest increase in population from 2000 to 2025 within the region, at 14.2% (158,668 to 181,167). According to them the population predicted to migrate into the region’s metropolitan area over the next two decades would likely reside in the newly developed areas of northern Davenport and northeastern Bettendorf, where residential construction activity has been intense during the past ten years.
To meet growing demand previously in May 2011, Trinity Bettendorf BirthPlace transformed the original 7-bed unit from a Labor, Delivery, Recovery, Post-Partum model (LDRP) to a unit with separate Labor/Delivery and Mother/Baby areas. This is similar to Moline BirthPlace.
“The growth in demand for pre- and post-birthing services at UnityPoint Health -- Trinity Bettendorf over the last ten years has been dramatic. We’ve gone from just over 100 births n 2004 to nearly 800 in 2014, and the numbers continue to rise,” said Mark Schwiebert, chair of the Trinity Regional Health System board of directors. “In seeking to provide ‘the best outcome for every patient every time,’ the current expansion should respond well to the growing demand for these services in our region in the years ahead. They also represent a reflection of our goal at Trinity to strengthen our climate of caring for all our patients in Iowa and Illinois.”
Those on Trinity Bettendorf’s medical staff who contributed to the unit’s growth include OB/GYNs Drs. Andria Barr, Karen Brenot, Mona Alqulali, Robert Pimentel, Kristina Yoder and Leroy Yates, General Practitioners Drs. Tammy Wells, Denice Smith and physician’s assistant Chelsey VanDuyne. In addition the NSCU team includes neonatologists Drs. Sarah Lentz-Kapua and Usama Younis as well as nurse practitioner Keesha Causemaker.
To schedule a tour of Trinity Bettendorf BirthPlace, contact (563) 742-4600.
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