St. John’s Episcopal Hospital breaks ground on new maternity unit in Far Rockaway

St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, in Far Rockaway, broke ground, so to speak, last Friday on the Labor, Delivery, Recovery and Post-Partum Unit it is building on the ninth floor. What was formerly the hospital’s wound care unit will now house a large facility devoted to maternity care.

Bishop Lawrence Provenzano, who has chaired the Episcopal Health Services board for 15 years, recalled when his primary objective was to eliminate obstetrics, because it was too “litigious.”

At the time, St. John’s was experiencing too many “bad births,” Provenzano said, but he eventually realized that the problem was the lack of pre-natal care available at the facility.

“This speaks volumes about our commitment to the women and families of this community, the Rockaways, the Five Towns and the entire borough of Queens,” he said.

The groundbreaking, he added, symbolized a visible expression of the hospital’s continued commitment to “keep moving forward” and “keep rising.”

St. John’s officials called the groundbreaking a significant milestone, because it was the culmination of seven years of planning. The aim is to improve women’s access to quality care and eliminate what EHS officials termed “racial disparities of care,” especially for women on the Rockaway Peninsula and in the surrounding communities.

“For over a decade we have been intensely focused in enhancing women’s health care, Dr. Donald Morrish, Episcopal Health Services’ CEO, said. “We are tremendously proud that St. John’s Episcopal Hospital has been designated as a baby-friendly institution. This highlights our commitment to supporting breast-feeding mothers, and the well-being of their children.”

St. John’s has implemented a doula program, to provide educational support and to reduce maternal and infant mortality, as well as a centering program, which offers holistic maternal and infant health education, with the benefits of lowering the rate of pre-term births and low-weight babies.

“At EHS, we’re dedicated to promoting health care equity and ensuring all women have access to the high-quality care, regardless of their background, circumstances or ability to pay,” Morrish said. “Our new LDRP facility will play a vital role in the mission to provide accessible, inclusive care for women from all walks of life.”

The state-of-the-art facility will prioritize patient comfort and safety throughout the childbirth process. It will feature six labor, delivery, recovery and post-partum rooms, each equipped with a private shower.

“This design allows patients to spend their entire hospital stay in a single room, providing enhanced comfort, privacy and continuing of care throughout their birthing experience,” said Dr. Jacqueline Marecheau, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The unit will also include two Caesarean operating room suites, two recovery rooms and four triage rooms. The hospital intends to provide superior care for high-risk pregnancies, and specialized services for mothers and infants who need additional attention and support.

“Family comfort was a big priority when designing this space,” Marecheau said. “A family lounge and pantry, and public restroom will be adjacent to the reception area. The facility also provides support spaces such as team member offices, nurses station, on-call rooms, locker room and medication safety zone.”

Since the first meeting of board members and LDRP staff seven years ago, $4 million has been collected to help make the unit possible.

“If there’s more money needed, we will be committed to seeing this project done no matter the cost,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. said.

The goal is to ensure that pregnant women on the Rockaway Peninsula can get the care they need without going elsewhere. “No matter what your social economic status is, ZIP code or sexual orientation, health care is a right, and every community should have the same access,” Richards added.

The plan as well is to reduce the maternal mortality rate, and provide pre-natal care without cost.

“Done are the days of having to drive to Jamaica or Long Island to have your baby,” Richards said. “Done are the days of being disrespected by the health care system simply because of your ZIP code. We’re making history today, and every time a baby is born in this unit, we’re making the future of the community a whole lot brighter. This is a labor of love.”