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BABY BOOM Medical City Lewisville is delivering more babies as Denton County’s population grows. The hospital saw a 31% increase in deliveries from 2018-2022.
Addressing growth Medical City Lewisville is see- ing more patients as Denton Coun- ty’s population continues to grow, Walker said. The number of babies born at the hospital has steadily increased over the last three years. There were 1,863 babies delivered at Medical City Lewisville last year, according to hospital data. Infants are relocated to the over- flow room whenever the NICU reaches capacity, Cates said. While babies receive the same level of care, it lacks some of the equipment and features available in the main NICU, she added. For example, the over- flow room is not compatible with a web-based program that allows fam- ilies to see their babies at all times via camera. The NICU expansion gives staff ive additional beds with the oppor- tunity to touch lives in the commu- nity, Neonatal Program Coordinator Jamie Aponte said in an email. “Having a baby in the NICU is not ever something anyone plans and can be a stressful time for parents,” she said. “Our hope with this reno- vation and expansion is that we can give [patients] a peaceful, calm and comfortable environment for their experience so they can focus on bonding and the joys of new life.” The project will also address the hospital’s internal growth. The labor and delivery unit’s nursing station will be expanded to alleviate crowd- ing, for example. The women’s services department has 130 employees. The hospital is anticipated to see a 10%-15% growth in its number of employees because of this project, Cates said. The department also plans to add two
obstetrician providers. Cates said the hospital is always looking for experienced nurses as well as new nurses. Medical City Lewisville also has an internship program and partners with Galen College of Nursing, which plans to open its irst North Texas campus in Richardson this summer. The upcoming renovation and expansion project will help keep Medical City Lewisville competitive, Walker said. “Our patients have choices on where they’re going to go, so we want to make sure that we’re also up to date on everything,” he said. Providing quality care Medical City Lewisville continues to be a destination for moms seeking care, hospital of icials said. The hospital has consistently received high marks for its wom- en’s and neonatal services. For eight consecutive years, the hospital has held Healthgrades 5-star awards for C-section and vaginal deliveries. Medical City Lewisville became the irst and only hospital in Denton County to receive an of icial NICU designation from the Texas Depart- ment of State Health Services in 2018. It is the second-highest level of neonatal care that can be pro- vided to critically ill infants. The NICU expansion will not impact the hospital’s Level III rating, however. One factor that drives Medical City Lewisville’s growth is its abil- ity to add new services, Walker said. The department recently added 24/7 in-house obstetricians. This will help move its maternity program from Level II to Level III. The hospital’s NICU added total body cooling therapy last year,
1,900 births projected
1,000 1,500 2,000
1,863
31% increase from 2018 to 2022.
1,606
1,421
1,400
1,290
0 500
733 as of May 30
2018
2023
2019
2020
2021
2022
Project Timeline The hospital will expand its NICU and renovate the labor and delivery unit.
September: Expected start date 2023
November: Expected completion date 2024
November: HCA Healthcare approves $16M project proposal 2022
Caring for the community
seeing in the community.” Both units are due for upgrades, Women’s Services Director Deb Cates said. The NICU has not been reno- vated since it was built in 2001, while the last major labor and delivery construction project took place that same year. The labor and delivery waiting room will be upgraded to look more welcoming, Cates said. The NICU will also have a dedicated space for families. The upcoming project is a continu- ation of the hospital’s investment in women’s services, hospital o cials said. “We de nitely want to be the des- tination of choice for health care in Denton County,” Cates said.
Medical City Lewisville’s upcoming project is its latest investment in women’s services.
$16 million project
5 NICU beds added
10%-15% projected employee growth September 2023 construction start date
SOURCES: MEDICAL CITY LEWISVILLE COMMUNITY IMPACT
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