TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The new labor and delivery department at Tucson Medical Center's Rincon hospital is now open and delivering healthcare access to those on the Southeast side.
With 14 babies delivered in just over two weeks, the impact is already being felt.
“When you're having a baby time, time matters. And so they, they're very excited, not just for our ldrp, but just in general, to have a hospital out this direction," says Heather Beck, TMC Rincon's Administrator.
LDRP stands for labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum. And right now the hospital has six rooms that allow for patients to do all four of those without having to move locations.
Kendra Heartfield gave birth to her daughter Avianna on January 20th, marking the first baby to be born at the new hospital.
“The whole team was amazing. And I'm confident that it's not just that I was the first delivery there," says Heartfield.
Dr. Gayle Dean is the current medical director at TMC Rincon, and she has worked in Tucson for 17 years.
She has seen the changes across Tucson and the need for easier access across Southern Arizona.
“There's so many new families, new homes, new apartments, all this newness of the community that's just continuing to expand,” says Dr. Dean.
The six rooms are not the final plan for the hospital, Beck says the plan down the road is to expand even more.
“We have a third floor that's not open yet, and it's being worked on to when the volumes are there, it'll be available for us to use as patient population grows,” says Beck.
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Blake Phillips is a reporter for KGUN 9. Originally from St. Louis, Mo., Blake grew up in Sierra Vista. During his college tenure at the Missouri School of Journalism, Blake worked for the NBC affiliate KOMU-TV in Columbia. He is excited to return to a place he calls home and give back to the community in which he grew up. Share your story ideas and important issues with Blake by emailing blake.phillips@kgun9.com.
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