Saddleback Memorial Medical Center Dedicates New Bonding Room at The Women’s Hospital

Laguna Hills, CA, January 24, 2013 --(PR.com)-- A new bonding room was dedicated with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at The Women’s Hospital at Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in honor of donor Jane L. Frederick, M.D., who funded the project.

The new Jane L. Frederick, M.D. Bonding Room provides legally intended parents who have given birth through a surrogate mother, a place to stay overnight and bond with their new baby. Saddleback Memorial chief executive officer Steve Geidt says, “We have seen a growing need to provide this type of service for our surrogate families. In 2012, we had 15 surrogate births, with legal parents who came from as far as China, Norway and Australia.”

The room was made possible through philanthropic support from Dr. Frederick, a co-medical director at HRC Fertility and one of the longest practicing female reproductive endocrinologists in the Orange County area who has worked with intended parents for over 20 years.

“In the past, Saddleback Memorial would find a place for intended parents to bond with their newborn, but this is the first time a room has been specifically designated for, and designed with, these parents in mind,” says Dr. Frederick. “Surrogacy continues to be a viable option for many families and often these families don’t have a place to go in a hospital delivery situation. Parents really need a special place that is theirs and The Women’s Hospital at Saddleback Memorial has come through with a beautiful area that is really unique.”

The Bonding Room features two seater-sleepers to provide parents with a place to spend the night with their new baby, as well as a dresser and bassinet. The room also incorporates soothing colors and natural elements in conjunction with the current renovation project Designed for Healing, which aims at providing better patient care through nature-inspired design elements. During their stay in the Bonding Room, parents are able to receive post-partum education from a registered nurse just as birth parents do.

“This is a beautiful room for our intended parents to celebrate the birth of their child and is complementary to our facility and specialized programs we currently offer,” says Michael Haydon, M.D., medical director of The Women’s Hospital at Saddleback Memorial.

“Our community is very fortunate to have donors such as Dr. Frederick,” said Saddleback Memorial Foundation president Cecilia Belew. “Dr. Frederick saw the need for the Bonding Room and stepped up with her generous donation to make it happen. Her gift will touch the lives of so many families in Orange County and from around the world for years to come.”

About Saddleback Memorial Foundation
Saddleback Memorial Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, raises philanthropic support for Saddleback Memorial Medical Center, a community-based, not-for-profit hospital. The generous support of donors enables Saddleback Memorial Foundation to continue to keep the medical center at the cutting edge of procedures and medical expertise, as well as provide programs and services for the community. To learn more about supporting Saddleback Memorial Medical Center through the foundation, please call (949) 452-3724 or visit www.memorialcare.org/smf.

About Saddleback Memorial Medical Center
With campuses in Laguna Hills and San Clemente, Saddleback Memorial provides exceptional medical expertise across a range of treatment areas including cancer, stroke, and cardiac care. Innovations like robotic surgery, low dose CT, and dedicated breast MRI set us apart. In addition, The Women’s Hospital at Saddleback Memorial – Laguna Hills offers special comfort and care to new mothers and their babies. A proud member of the MemorialCare Health System and named Best Regional Hospital by U.S. News & World Report for three consecutive years, Saddleback Memorial continues to provide comprehensive care for patients at every stage of their lives. For more information, go to www.memorialcare.org/saddleback.

About MemorialCare Health System
MemorialCare Health System is a not-for profit, integrated delivery system that includes five top hospitals – Long Beach Memorial, Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach, Community Hospital Long Beach, Orange Coast Memorial, and Saddleback Memorial; three medical groups – MemorialCare Medical Group, Memorial Prompt Care, and Specialty Physicians of Long Beach; an Independent Practice Association (IPA) Greater Newport Physicians; MemorialCare HealthExpress retail clinics; and numerous outpatient health centers throughout the Southland. For more information, go to www.memorialcare.org.