Postpartum Care Team

Throughout your stay at Newton-Wellesley Hospital (NWH), highly trained staff will support your family. Each staff member is here to provide education, encouragement, individualized care, and even just a listening ear. You can count on the maternity staff to deliver the high quality of care that you need, expect, and deserve.

Staff Introductions:

Leadership
Thomas Beatty, MD, Chair, Obstetrics and Gynecology – email      
Kathleen Gordon, RN, MSN, MS, Associate Chief Nurse, Maternal Child Health – email

Certified Nurse Midwives
are nationally certified advanced practice nurses with specialized training around delivering babies and providing prenatal, postpartum and primary gynecological care. Their expertise is in promoting the normal childbirth process and the health, wellness and education of the woman and her family. They practice in collaboration with an obstetrician and gynecologist and have been an integral part of the Newton-Wellesley Hospital obstetrical team since 1981.

Lactation Consultants
are specialists who offer assistance for more complicated situations requiring hands-on breastfeeding help. They are also involved in teaching daily breastfeeding classes on the unit. Your nurse can give you more information regarding lactation.

Staff Nurses
are registered nurses who are highly skilled in the area of maternity nursing. You will have a nurse for the day shift (7:00 am – 3:00 pm), the evening shift (3:00 pm – 11:00 pm), and the night shift (11:00 pm – 7:00 am).

Patient Care Assistants
help staff nurses with the daily care of patients.

Student Nurses
are from various local schools of nursing. A clinical instructor from their school supervises them during their time on the maternity floor.

Phlebotomists and IV Nurses
are specially trained to do blood tests from either the patient’s finger or arm. Along with staff nurses, IV nurses are specially trained not only to do blood tests but also to place IVs in a patient’s arm or hand.

A Unit Coordinator
is the central contact person for the maternity unit and performs transcriptions, clerical, and reception duties. The unit coordinator also performs duties related to admission, discharge and transfer of patients, and is an expert user of the hospital computer system.

Hospital Chaplains
are available for emotional and spiritual support, baby blessings, and questions concerning your child's religious life.

Clinical Social Workers
are available to provide emotional support, resources and referrals to help guide you through this transition. A social worker can speak with you by telephone (617-243-6695) prior to your delivery and can meet with you while you are in the Hospital.

Childlife Specialists
are certified practitioners trained to focus on the emotional and developmental needs of children and families with the mission of reducing stress associated with a hospitalization.

Environmental Support Service Associates
focus on making your hospital stay as comfortable as possible. They clean the rooms, serve meals, empty trash, and keep the maternity floor very organized.

Patient and Family Advisory Council
consists of a group of patients dedicated to helping Newton-Wellesley Hospital identify opportunities to better serve its communities and contribute to the realization of those opportunities.

Responsibilities of Council members may include: providing input on new products and services, assisting with service development, refining messages for Hospital publications, helping to define new markets, participating in focus groups, providing testimonials for marketing communications, and representing the Hospital at events or with other organizations.

The Advisory Council meets quarterly on the Hospital campus. If you would like to be considered for membership, please contact Volunteer Services at 617-243-6048, or visit us online at www.nwh.org/volunteer.