St. Charles Family Care Bend South adds prenatal care

St. Charles Family Care said Wednesday it is now offering prenatal services, in addition to routine gynecologic care at the Bend South clinic.

The services are provided by Roza Pacifico, a women’s health nurse practitioner, and Hannah Renzi, one of only three certified nurse midwives in the tri-county region who are credentialed to deliver babies at St. Charles Redmond hospital.

Midwives are experts at providing care for low-risk healthy women during the childbearing year. The primary roles of the midwife are to educate, support and attend women and their families. They provide the full spectrum of women’s health care including prenatal care, labor and delivery, postpartum care, well-woman care, contraception, common problems and menopause management.

“As soon as you find out you’re pregnant, you’re making a lot of decisions,” Renzi said. “I believe in informed consent–giving patients the time and space to be part of the decision-making process and really taking the time to weigh the benefits and feel supported.”

Like their physician partners, certified nurse midwives order labs, write prescriptions and create care plans. They also assist in surgical cases such as Cesarean sections and work closely with providers on consults and referrals as needed for complicated cases.

“We’re so pleased to be able to bring prenatal services to women at the Bend South clinic,” said Tricia Clay, manager of St. Charles Center for Women’s Health. “Many of our patients who deliver at St. Charles Redmond travel from as far as La Pine, so this will cut down on travel to their regular appointments. And it will help meet high demand for ob-gyn services in the region.”

Patients who are seen by Pacifico, Renzi and other St. Charles Center for Women’s Health providers deliver at St. Charles Redmond, which is a Baby Friendly hospital. Hospitals with this World Health Organization designation undergo a rigorous process to demonstrate they are committed to and support breastfeeding.

“Being a Baby Friendly hospital means we support positive health choices that affect mothers and babies in our community for their lifetime,” Clay said. “Additionally, our Family Birthing Center offers 24-hour access to anesthesiology and blood bank services–everything a mother needs to have peace of mind when delivering a baby here.”

To make an appointment for prenatal and gynecologic services at St. Charles Family Care Bend South clinic, call 541–706–5935.