The Daviess Community Hospital Women’s Health Center is officially open after a ribbon cutting in front a of full house that included Governor Mike Braun Friday morning.

DCH CEO Justin Harris said over the last six months, DCH has been working to create, “a one-stop shop” for women’s health all within the walls of the hospital and all on a single floor for convenience.

“Health care is challenging. There are some hurdles and there are some wins,” said Harris. “It is a challenging day-to-day job that our providers, our patients, our staff members, clinical. non-clinical, work through every single day. But that’s why we are in it to keep health care care local. We don’t want patients to drive 30-plus minutes for what we believe is basic care they be able to receive high quality right here at DCH.”

Harris said over the last six months, DCH has solidified new agreements for obstetrics and gynecology, family practice, internal medicine, surgical podiatry, pain management, state-of-the arts orthopedics and more to give easier access to patients. A new electronic health record platform will come later in the year.

“With this renewed sense of growth and ownership, we will be creating more jobs for our community and our county and it is a way to create strong health care services. More dollars are being spent in our county, right here in Daviess County, and we will continue to do so so we have good population stability and economic growth for our city and county,” he said.

Indiana has OB deserts, areas that lack obstetric and maternity care. In the last six years, 16 Indiana hospitals have closed obstetric units.

“That hurts,” said Harris, who said the issue is a national problem and in some cases patients are driving over an hour to receive care. “That’s why we are taking these steps today to combat that.”

DCH invested over $1 million in creating the Women’s Health Center that offers a level 2 obstetrics center and nursery where fewer than five patients per year are being transferred. On average, 500 babies are born at DCH annually.

Led by board-certified OB-GYNs Sonya Williams, MD, and Michael Ryskin, MD, FACOG, the center can provide wellness exams and preventative screenings; prenatal care, labor and delivery support;postpartum care and breastfeeding support; gynecologic care for all life stages; menopause management and minimally invasive gynecologic procedures.

Indiana Hospital Association President Scott Tittle said DCH is making an investment in advanced technology, specialized staff and modern equipment for women’s health in one location.

“What truly sets this apart is how it was accomplished, through strong partnerships,” said Tittle, adding DCH has worked with regional hospitals, midwives and providers to make transfer agreements for higher level care if needed.

Deaconess CEO Shawn McCoy said DCH has enforced the Deaconess philosophy of, “care close to home.”

“Numbers matter,” he said, adding with the partnership with Deaconess can provide DCH with additional support and services to better serve patients.

Braun said health care will remain a priority during his administration.

“This is a commitment to rural health care, especially obstetrics level where you can see the logistics have gotten complicated,” he said.