Mount Pleasant Magazine Nov/Dec 2019

45 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.BestOfMP.com | www.ReadMPM.com feature Labor and delivery is on the fourth floor. It is tastefully decorated with Charleston classics like sweetgrass basket art and beach paintings. Dr. David Soper, medical director for women’s health, said, “Our goal is for The Pearl Tourville Women’s Pavilion to be the safest labor and delivery unit in the country. We recognize that this depends on the connectivity with our onsite specialists and maternal fetal medicine physicians. Our team of doctors, nurses and support staff is highly motivated to provide a most caring experience on our high-tech unit. Moreover, we are backed up by world-class pediatric subspecialists such as pediatric cardiologists and cardiac surgeons as well as experienced pediatric urologic and ENT surgeons.” He added, “Our advanced fetal care center makes caring for high-risk pregnancies seamless with our pediatric subspecialists needed by the newborn after delivery.” While newborn “rooming in” is the MUSC standard, Dr. Soper said they will also offer “couplet care” for those mothers delivering infants requiring intensive care in the neonatal intensive care unit. “This way, the mother rooms with her baby while the highest standard of ICU care is rendered to her newborn infant.” A special elevator has been designated the “Stork Elevator,” which is reserved for those pregnant patients requiring evaluation on labor and delivery. This elevator rises directly up to labor and delivery where the patient is met by nurses and staff and guided to a waiting triage room. Wireless monitoring is available for patients as they labor, freeing them to position themselves in a comfortable way and ambulate during labor. Dr. Soper considers the Pearl Tourville Women’s Pavilion a high-caring, high-tech unit. He envisions the patient and baby at the middle of a circle, surrounded by a special group of providers, arms linked with one goal in mind: “Keeping our patients safe and sound.” And we would be remiss if we did not mention the technology that the planners of the hospital had specially made for it. Dr. Scheurer said that there will be a large screen in every room with all information needed in one place. “We had to build partnerships with software companies to create this,” he said. The screen will include information about all the rounds made so that parents can review what has been happening. Even loved ones not present can log into this program to review from afar. This screen will have FaceTime ability, as well as the ability to watch regular TV and movies. People can even access the internet. “When a staff person walks into the room, a sensor will activate on the screen to introduce who the person is,” he said. “This is truly unique and different. It was our vision that we wanted to make into a reality.” Dr. Scheurer concluded, “This is not our hospital. It is the community’s hospital. So many people have intersected to share their stories. They are invested, they care and support it. This hospital will be around much longer than all of us. It is that bigger picture that we have to think about. It has been truly an honor to be a part of it and I know I speak for many when I say that.” Courtesy of Perkins&Will. Photo by Tonya McGue.