At Hoag’s new Fudge Family Birthing Suites in Irvine, something revolutionary is happening.
Thanks to the generosity of Gary Fudge and other visionary philanthropists, Hoag has expanded its renowned women’s health services to one of Orange County’s fastest-growing communities and is pleased to have opened the Fudge Family Birthing Suites at Hoag Hospital Irvine this past December.
The only birthing suites of their kind in Orange County, Hoag’s hotel-like private suites feature a luxurious, family-centered design. Calming, spa-like amenities, such as an outdoor walking garden, custom robes, aromatherapy and rain showers, add a touch of the unexpected to the quality care that families have come to know and trust from Hoag. With an expert team of OB/GYN hospitalists, certified nurse midwives and board-certified anesthesiologists and neonatologists, women can create the personalized experience they desire. And Hoag’s new single-room maternity suites allow new moms to experience labor, delivery and rejoicing — in the same suite during their entire stay.
“The new birthing suites and the inclusion of midwives into the hospital setting gives Orange County the end-to-end care that we truly need here,” said Kimberly Tillotson, C.N.M, director of the Birthing Suites and OB Education. “We are really excited to invite the midwifery model of care into the birthing suites and to give women a greater choice about their personalized birthing plan.”
The Fudge Family Birthing Suites were designed by women for women and are an extension of the world-renowned maternity services at Hoag’s Newport Beach campus.
“Hoag is pleased to expand its’ world-class maternity services and excellent Hoag experience to expectant families of south Orange County,” said Dr. Jeffrey Illeck, Chair of the OB/GYN department at Hoag and a Newport Beach-based obstetrician.
Further expanding Hoag’s services to the community, Orange Coast Women’s Medical Group (OCWMG), now an affiliate of Hoag, opened two new locations in December at Hoag Health Center Irvine.
“As an affiliate of Hoag, OCWMG is excited to be expanding its presence in South Orange County with our new offices conveniently located across from the new birthing suites,” said Susan Mendelsohn, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., a Hoag-affiliated OB/GYN. “Our patients now have access to an incredible facility right in their backyard.”
The suites were designed with input from new mothers and include a private outdoor walking garden and hotel-like amenities.
Hoag has also introduced NurtureVR, a perinatal program that harnesses virtual reality (VR) in behavioral health, prenatal education and pain management, and spans a woman’s journey from the 28th week of pregnancy through the first eight weeks of motherhood. Designed by Hoag in partnership with BehaVR, NurtureVR is the only program of its kind and covers everything from prenatal care to maternal-baby bonding and post-partum issues.
In addition to personal one-on-one breastfeeding support at Hoag Breastfeeding Clinic, all mothers who deliver at Hoag receive a free one-year Hoag Pacify membership, thanks to philanthropy. This service provides on-demand, video-enabled 24/7 access to board-certified lactation consultants.
“We listened to women at all stages of the birthing journey and created an ideal set of services to meet their needs and exceed their expectations,” said Allyson Brooks, M.D., Ginny Ueberroth Executive Medical Director Endowed Chair and chief quality officer, Hoag Women’s Health Institute. “We are proud of what have created here.”
