Marge Tracy is finding it hard to go anywhere in Auburn these days without having people call out to her or even hug her, saying: “I'm so glad you're coming back.”
On Sept. 8, Auburn Obstetrics & Gynecology, a new practice owned and operated by Auburn Memorial Hospital, will open at 143 North St., Auburn. Tracy, a certified nurse midwife, will join Drs. Loren Van Riper, Mary M. Wilsch and Allison Loi in providing a full range of services to area women. Tracy, who has been working with Cathy J. Berry, M.D. and Associates in Syracuse and delivering babies at Crouse Hospital, will return to practice in Auburn after having left when Dr. Kenneth Palmer, her former collaborating physician, left the area in 2007.
“I am thrilled to be able to deliver babies at Auburn Memorial Hospital again,” she said.
She was born at AMH herself and also delivered her grandson Charlie at AMH in 2005.
“I've delivered so many Auburn babies. I meet them and their mothers wherever I go,” she said. “When I'm at Hoopes Park to listen to music, at the party after the Great Race or even walking down the aisle in Wegmans, children I've delivered run up to me to say hello. I love taking care of the women in my own community.”
Tracy calls AMH “a little jewel,” saying that the hospital “combines really personalized care with clinical excellence. The transport rate is low, the C-section rate is low, the infection rate is low and anesthesia is available 24/7,” she said. She added that the nursing care at AMH “is fantastic. All of the nurses are trained to care for both mothers and babies from labor through the postpartum stay. The baby can stay with the mother and the same nurse will care for them so the care is less fragmented.”
Tracy has a B.S. degree in nursing from Syracuse University and spent 25 years as a nurse, working in hospitals, public health and childbirth education.
“I loved nursing, but I had a hope and dream of becoming a midwife. When my own kids were old enough to have a mother who didn't have regular working hours, I was ready to make my dream come true.” She earned her M.S. in midwifery from SUNY Stonybrook with clinical training from Mary Thompson, CNM, a Syracuse midwife. After graduating, she opened an independent midwifery practice in Auburn with Dr. M. Robert Neulander as her collaborating physician. In 2003, she joined Finger Lakes OB/GYN & Midwifery Care with Dr. Kenneth Palmer, and at last her dream came true - she was delivering babies at her hometown hospital.
There are many misconceptions about midwifery, Tracy said.
“People think it's only about homebirth or natural childbirth, which is not true. Midwives also do hospital births and many mothers have epidural anesthesia. My job is to support the woman in whatever it is she needs to have a safe, satisfying birth experience.”
She added that midwives perform a range of health services for women, not only delivering babies.
A member of the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM), Tracy said that midwives offer “all the personal touch of a home birth with all the technological advantages of a hospital birth.” She quoted Eunice K.M. Ernst, president of ACNM: “The challenge to all of us as midwives is - to provide the high touch and spiritual balance to the high-tech delivery of services to women and childbearing families.”
Tracy gives a great deal of credit to Scott Berlucchi, president/CEO of AMH, for his commitment to providing women's health care services to the Auburn community.
“As soon as he heard Palmer was leaving Auburn, and I was also going to practice elsewhere, he called me and tried to convince me to stay.”
At that time the Berger Commission recommendation to close the AMH maternity unit was in effect, so she did not accept. But as soon as the Berger Commission reversed its recommendation, she said, “he called again.”
And last month, after everything was in place for the Auburn Obstetrics & Gynecology practice, she was happy to sign on.
“Dr. Loren Van Riper will be my collaborating physician,” she said. “Together we will be able to give more women the opportunity to have their babies in their own community, with safe, high quality, personal care.
“We will accept all insurances, including Empire and Medicaid. Our goal is to provide excellent services to all women in the community.”
She adds, “I'm very grateful to Scott (Berlucchi), Roz (McCormick, Chief Operating Officer) and the whole maternity department for getting AMH through the challenges to this new beginning. I will reap the rewards of their efforts, and so will my daughter, my daughter-in-law, my grandchildren and everyone in our community.”
Auburn Obstetrics & Gynecology is now scheduling appointments. Call 252-5028 for an appointment.
Beverly Miller is the director of community relations and the
Hospital Foundation at Auburn Memorial Hospital
“I am thrilled to be able to deliver babies at Auburn Memorial Hospital again,” she said.
She was born at AMH herself and also delivered her grandson Charlie at AMH in 2005.
“I've delivered so many Auburn babies. I meet them and their mothers wherever I go,” she said. “When I'm at Hoopes Park to listen to music, at the party after the Great Race or even walking down the aisle in Wegmans, children I've delivered run up to me to say hello. I love taking care of the women in my own community.”
Tracy calls AMH “a little jewel,” saying that the hospital “combines really personalized care with clinical excellence. The transport rate is low, the C-section rate is low, the infection rate is low and anesthesia is available 24/7,” she said. She added that the nursing care at AMH “is fantastic. All of the nurses are trained to care for both mothers and babies from labor through the postpartum stay. The baby can stay with the mother and the same nurse will care for them so the care is less fragmented.”
Tracy has a B.S. degree in nursing from Syracuse University and spent 25 years as a nurse, working in hospitals, public health and childbirth education.
“I loved nursing, but I had a hope and dream of becoming a midwife. When my own kids were old enough to have a mother who didn't have regular working hours, I was ready to make my dream come true.” She earned her M.S. in midwifery from SUNY Stonybrook with clinical training from Mary Thompson, CNM, a Syracuse midwife. After graduating, she opened an independent midwifery practice in Auburn with Dr. M. Robert Neulander as her collaborating physician. In 2003, she joined Finger Lakes OB/GYN & Midwifery Care with Dr. Kenneth Palmer, and at last her dream came true - she was delivering babies at her hometown hospital.
There are many misconceptions about midwifery, Tracy said.
“People think it's only about homebirth or natural childbirth, which is not true. Midwives also do hospital births and many mothers have epidural anesthesia. My job is to support the woman in whatever it is she needs to have a safe, satisfying birth experience.”
She added that midwives perform a range of health services for women, not only delivering babies.
A member of the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM), Tracy said that midwives offer “all the personal touch of a home birth with all the technological advantages of a hospital birth.” She quoted Eunice K.M. Ernst, president of ACNM: “The challenge to all of us as midwives is - to provide the high touch and spiritual balance to the high-tech delivery of services to women and childbearing families.”
Tracy gives a great deal of credit to Scott Berlucchi, president/CEO of AMH, for his commitment to providing women's health care services to the Auburn community.
“As soon as he heard Palmer was leaving Auburn, and I was also going to practice elsewhere, he called me and tried to convince me to stay.”
At that time the Berger Commission recommendation to close the AMH maternity unit was in effect, so she did not accept. But as soon as the Berger Commission reversed its recommendation, she said, “he called again.”
And last month, after everything was in place for the Auburn Obstetrics & Gynecology practice, she was happy to sign on.
“Dr. Loren Van Riper will be my collaborating physician,” she said. “Together we will be able to give more women the opportunity to have their babies in their own community, with safe, high quality, personal care.
“We will accept all insurances, including Empire and Medicaid. Our goal is to provide excellent services to all women in the community.”
She adds, “I'm very grateful to Scott (Berlucchi), Roz (McCormick, Chief Operating Officer) and the whole maternity department for getting AMH through the challenges to this new beginning. I will reap the rewards of their efforts, and so will my daughter, my daughter-in-law, my grandchildren and everyone in our community.”
Auburn Obstetrics & Gynecology is now scheduling appointments. Call 252-5028 for an appointment.
Beverly Miller is the director of community relations and the
Hospital Foundation at Auburn Memorial Hospital
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joyjamie wrote on Aug 26, 2008 8:14 AM: