"Seton is recognized as one of the safest places in the country to have a baby."
David W. Reue, M.D., OB/GYN Group of Austin
Dr. Reue knows the risks associated with giving birth, as a specialist in multiple births and other high-risk pregnancies. He has practiced obstetrics and gynecology in Austin since the early 1990s and served as section chief for Seton Medical Center Austin in 1999-2000. In that time, he has handled hundreds of routine births as well as extremely complicated deliveries of twins and triplets.
“When Seton first came out with new guidelines for labor and delivery, I was a little skeptical. But the data was compelling. As a result, we’ve significantly changed the way we practice medicine, which has reduced admissions to the neonatology unit and decreased complications such as lung disease,” says Dr. Reue. He points out that Seton’s safety initiative to reduce birth injuries to zero has been achieved with a Caesarian-section rate lower than the national average.
Of course, some complications with pregnancies are unavoidable. To prepare for the worst, Seton has invested in high-tech simulation capabilities, where doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists and others can train for rare events and prepare for emergency situations, such as post-partum hemorrhage, on mannequins that simulate pregnant women and newborns. “We do these drills periodically so everyone knows their roles,” Dr. Reue says. “Pregnancy complications and premature births can be high-anxiety situations, but when you’ve planned for them in advance, outcomes are improved.”
With a special antepartum unit for expectant mothers with health issues, specialists on site around the clock, advanced Labor and Delivery services, and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Seton Medical Center Austin is equipped to handle just about any special delivery. What people don’t see is all the work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure patient safety, including monthly care team meetings to prepare for difficult deliveries and a constant emphasis on improving safety.
Dr. Reue points to one safety initiative that standardized how physicians and nurses communicate and interpret results of fetal monitoring. “These are not just a set of guidelines,” he says. “These initiatives really do work. And we’re still finding ways to improve the labor and delivery experience.”