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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · AJP Rep 2020; 10(03): e281-e287
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1716731
Case Report

Response of an Obstetric Unit during the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic: Experiences from a Tertiary Care Center

Sangeeta Kumaraswami 
1   Department of Anesthesiology, New York Medical College, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, New York
,
Tana S. Pradhan
2   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York Medical College, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, New York
,
Sorana Vrabie-Wolf
2   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York Medical College, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, New York
,
Sadaf Lodhi
2   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York Medical College, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, New York
,
Geetha P. Rajendran
2   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York Medical College, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, New York
,
Sean S. Tedjarati
2   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York Medical College, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, New York
,
Cara L. Grimes
3   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Urology, New York Medical College, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, New York
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Abstract

Objective To describe our experiences in preparing our obstetric unit in Westchester County, New York, during the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease of 2019) pandemic. We focus on describing our timeline, continuously evolving actions, observations, and challenges.

Methods With guidance from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), our institutional epidemiologist, and key multidisciplinary faculty members, we evaluated emerging national data as well as expert opinions to identify issues and challenges to create action plans.

Results We created and modified policies for our patients presenting for obstetrical care on the labor and delivery unit to accommodate their unique needs during this pandemic.

Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic has posed many unique challenges. Balancing communication, risks of infection to providers, patient autonomy and rights, and resources for testing and personal protective equipment were among the valuable lessons learnt. We have shared our experiences and described our observations and challenges in Westchester County, New York.

Keywords

COVID-19 - labor and delivery - experiences - observations - challenges


Publication History

Received: 23 June 2020

Accepted: 20 July 2020

Article published online:
23 September 2020

© 2020. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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