News

Special Addition Birth Center Sets Birth Record

MERRIAM, Kan. – Shawnee Mission Medical Center’s (SMMC) Special Addition Birth Center delivers more babies than any other hospital in the Kansas City metropolitan area and in 2010 celebrated several significant milestones. The Center broke its own birth record in 2010, bringing 3,912 newborns into the world. In addition, the Center birthed its 100,000th baby in November.

“We saw days with as many as 24 births in 24 hours,” said April Crouch, RN, Clinical Manager of Perinatal Services. “Regardless of whether we deliver one or 24 babies in a day, we focus on providing a unique birthing experience for each family.”

Because of its growing number of births each year, SMMC is making plans for a $42.5 million expansion of its birth center, which will begin later this year. The expansion will allow staff to continue delivering babies safely and comfortably, and will have the capacity to deliver 5,000 babies each year.

“Our number of births has continued to grow every year and reinforces the need for our maternity expansion,” said Crouch.

In addition to delivering the most babies in the area, SMMC also provides several unique program features to ensure the safest and most enjoyable birth experience possible.
- OB Hospitalists are on staff to increase patient safety.
- A Perinatologist is available to assist in managing more complicated pregnancy cases.
- A Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) provides specialized care for sick or premature newborns.
- A NICU nurse attends every delivery for an additional layer of protection.
- One nurse cares for mom and baby in the same room.

About Shawnee Mission Medical Center
Shawnee Mission Medical Center (SMMC) is a 445-bed facility with nearly 20,000 inpatient admissions and more than 200,000 outpatient admissions annually. SMMC has the busiest emergency department in Johnson County, the area's first accredited Chest Pain Emergency Center, a nationally recognized Center for Women's Health and delivers more babies each year than any other hospital in the metropolitan area. SMMC employs more than 2,900 local residents and supports an exceptional staff of 700 physicians representing 50 medical specialties, the largest medical staff in Kansas City. Visit us on the Web at ShawneeMission.org.

###