Highest-level neonatology services available at Camden hospital’s Special Care Nursery

Virtua Health announced today that the Special Care Nursery (SCN) at Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital is now being managed and staffed by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) neonatologists. With this announcement, CHOP-affiliated physicians now provide pediatric services at all of Virtua Health’s neonatology sites. The CHOP at Virtua alliance, formed in 2011, also includes the SCN at Virtua Memorial Hospital and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Virtua Voorhees Hospital.

 
“This expansion of the CHOP at Virtua alliance standardizes care and provides consistent quality services for all of Virtua’s tiniest patients,” explained Paresh Pandit, MD, MRCP, FAAP, medical director of CHOP Newborn Care at Virtua. “CHOP physicians will now rotate to provide neonatology care across the Virtua system.”
 
This transition reflects ongoing efforts to coordinate and enhance Virtua’s service portfolio following its acquisition of Lourdes Health System in July 2019. 
 
“Bringing two health systems together was never intended to be a ‘flip the switch’ scenario. Rather, it’s a deliberate, ongoing process,” said Reginald “Reg” Blaber, MD, FACC, MBA, chief clinical officer at Virtua Health. “Incorporating Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital into the CHOP at Virtua alliance is a terrific example of how we’re creating a better health-care model for the people of Camden and all of South Jersey.” 
 
“Simply put, Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes is a great place to welcome a child into the world,” said Patricia Cerveny, BSN, RN, CBC, C-EFM, nursing director. “We want all moms-to-be, particularly those with high-risk pregnancies, to know we are here for them and eager to be part of their family’s story.”