Patients who are experiencing obstetric emergencies may now get care at the new obstetric emergency department at Willis Knighton South. The emergency care is designed for patients who are 20+ weeks pregnant and following delivery. 

The unit, located on the second floor of the Center for Women’s Health, is open 24 hours a day and is covered by a board certified obstetrician and nurses skilled in obstetric care. Patients who are seen in the obstetrics emergency department (OB ED) will be treated and released if their condition is stable or admitted to the labor and delivery unit for further care. The physician in the OB ED will not replace the patient’s primary obstetrician but will support their primary doctor and communicate information about the patient’s condition. 

“In our efforts to provide comprehensive, compassionate care for mothers and babies, opening an obstetrics emergency department at South was a natural progression,” says Claire Rebouche, senior vice president of quality and clinical performance. “We are proud to partner with the OB Hospitalist Group who provides similar services throughout the state for the safety and well-being of our patients in collaboration with our own WK OB providers.”

Among types of pregnancy concerns that are treated are cramping, contractions before 34 weeks, vaginal spotting/bleeding, abdominal pain or injury, fluid leaks, baby’s movement slow or stopped, elevated blood pressure, fever, and postpartum depression, among others.