Silver Cross NICU the Best Choice for Marseilles Couple’s Baby

When she became pregnant with her first child last year, Stefani DeBenedetti of Marseilles had a choice of hospitals where she could deliver.

“My doctor was affiliated with Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, and I had heard good things; especially that they had a NICU,” DeBenedetti said.

“And I thought that was good because you never know. My fiancé, Brett Schultz, and I were both preemies who had to spend time at a Chicago academic medical center after we were born. I am so glad I chose Silver Cross.”

Knowing that Silver Cross has Will County’s first and only NICU – the Amy, Matthew and Jay Vana Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Silver Cross – could be critically important to others as well.

Signs of Concern

DeBenedetti’s doctor already had been monitoring high blood pressure as she progressed through the latter stages of pregnancy to make sure it didn’t turn into preeclampsia. When she visited Silver Cross for a checkup in her 37th week, on Aug. 13, there was even more concern.

“My blood pressure was really high, so they said they needed to take the baby then by Csection,” she said. “We didn’t even have anything packed. We thought we were going to leave, go home and take a nap.”

After delivery, doctors told her baby Brooke’s lungs weren’t fully developed yet, and that she’d need specialized care.

Great Timing

Thankfully, Silver Cross Hospital’s new NICU had opened only a few weeks earlier.

If it hadn’t, Brooke would have had to be transported to a Chicago hospital, and it could have been days before DeBenedetti could have seen her baby and how she was doing.

The 24-bed NICU is located on the third floor of Silver Cross’ new addition on the east side of the hospital, adjacent to the birthing center and features all single-family private rooms. Modeled after and staffed 24/7 by neonatologists from the NICU of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Silver Cross Hospital’s Level III NICU provides care for seriously ill or very premature newborns.

Patients are safely cared for by a team of highly skilled neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners, neonatal nurses, therapists, and other caregivers and have immediate access to Lurie Children’s Hospital pediatric medical and surgical subspecialists.

“We have built a team of the best professionals in the area to provide neonatal intensive care close to home,” said Corryn Greenwood, M.D., neonatologist and Medical Director of the NICU at Silver Cross.

DeBenedetti had to wait a few hours until her anesthesia wore off before she could see Brooke. Meanwhile, Schultz was shuttling back and forth between the hospital’s NICU and his fiancé’s room to give updates and deliver breast milk to the baby.

“It was really hard not being able to see her right away,” DeBenedetti said. “I can’t imagine what it would have been like if she had to be transferred to Chicago.”

She added, “Initially, they said Brooke would have to be there two or three days. But they also found she was suffering from pulmonary hypertension, so they wanted to keep her on oxygen. She wound up being there 17 days. The doctors and nurses at Silver Cross were so good. They answered all of our questions and kept us up to date on her condition.”

DeBenedetti said she and Schultz could have spent more nights in Brooke’s NICU room, large enough for the three of them to rest comfortably. But after a few days, they decided to stay at her mother’s house in Minooka to make sure Brooke got enough rest.

Time to Go Home

On the 18th day, Brooke was able to go home to Marseilles.

“I am so glad we chose Silver Cross. They were all great, and to have a NICU right there was such a relief.”

For more information about the Amy, Matthew and Jay Vana Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox (Will County’s first and only NICU), visit silvercross.org

We’ve Expanded Our Birthing Center with Your Comfort in Mind

Stefani DeBenedetti and Brett Schultz bring their daughter, Brooke, home to Marseilles after she spent 17 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox. From the personal attention of our highly trained staff to the comfort and luxury of our private mother-baby suites, we’ve designed it with you in mind. Everything’s ready for you from the moment you arrive—even complimentary valet parking and shuttle service. Each of our birthing suites has soft lighting and soothing décor designed to put you at ease with thoughtful touches you’ll appreciate. The moment you walk in, you’ll feel at home. Every private birthing suite has an easily adjustable labor bed and labor ball available. 3 New Labor/Delivery/Recovery Rooms To accommodate the growing number of special deliveries at Silver Cross, we’ve added 3 spacious LDR rooms to our Women and Infant Services Birthing Center, bringing our total from 12 to 15. And just like our existing LDR rooms, these beautiful new rooms feature a host of amenities designed for your comfort – with an important new addition: large immersion tubs for laboring moms. When you start your family at Silver Cross, you’re in good company! In fact, more families choose our Birthing Center than any other hospital in Will County. That’s because we’ve created a unique place for special arrivals—the Women and Infant Services Birthing Center, where you and your family are at the center of everything we do. Other amenities include: • Private bathroom • Sofa sleeper • Glider chair • Blanket warmers Everything for Your Peace of Mind An obstetrician/gynecologist is in-house 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Upon your arrival, you’ll be “partnered” with a specially trained obstetrical nurse certified in electronic fetal monitoring who’ll assist you through delivery. Our unit also features mother/baby couplet care, which means that the same experienced nurse will care for both mother and baby until it is time to go home. This ensures continuity in care and improved communication between the patient, family, nursing staff and physicians. At Silver Cross, we also have several certified lactation consultants available for support to new moms who choose to breastfeed their babies. They offer education and support before and after delivery as well as when you return home.

• In-room refrigerators • Flat-screen TV • And more Dr. Corryn Greenwood NICU Medical Director

Weight-Loss Surgery at Silver Cross is Tops in Patient Outcomes and Experience

Obesity is an epidemic that affects nearly 1 out of 3 American adults. It also affects their families, the people they work with and those who will have to care for them if they become unable to care for themselves.

With a demonstrated track record of outstanding outcomes in weight-loss surgery, BMI Surgery and Silver Cross Hospital’s weight-loss surgery program has received national accreditation from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP). The program has also been recognized as a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery for our demonstrated track record of outstanding outcomes in weight-loss surgery.

Our program offers the latest and safest bariatric surgical procedures including:

• Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass • Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy • Revisional Bariatric Surgery

What’s more, our comprehensive program includes a full screening with renowned bariatric surgeons — Dr. Brian Lahmann, Dr. Joe Northup and other medical specialists; pre- and post-procedure diet and exercise instruction; a monthly support group; and tools to promote an ongoing healthy lifestyle.

Bariatric & Minimally Invasive Surger y

Brian Lahmann, MD, FACS Bariatric Surgeon

Certified by the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Lahmann received his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He completed a general surgery residency at the University of Kentucky where he was recognized with several awards. Dr. Lahmann completed a laparoscopic and bariatric surgery fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA.

Specially trained in bariatric and minimally invasive surgical procedures, Dr. Lahmann is a past winner of the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons’ Laparoscopic Skills Competition as well as the Society of Laparoscopic Surgeons TOP GUN Laparoscopic Skills Competition. He lectures nationally and has published several articles on laparoscopic and bariatric surgery. Dr. Lahmann co-founded and developed BMI Surgery at Silver Cross Hospital in 2005. Dr. Lahmann has consistently been recognized as a top physician at Silver Cross Hospital for ranking in the Top 1% of physicians in the nation for outstanding patient satisfaction.

Joe Northup, MD, FACS Bariatric Surgeon

Dr. Joe Northup has nearly 20 years of experience as a renowned bariatric surgeon.

Certified through the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Northup completed his residency at the Medical College of Ohio at Toledo as well as an Advanced Laparoscopic and Bariatric Fellowship at the University of Virginia.

He is a Fellow of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, the American College of Surgeons and American Society of Bariatric Surgeons. Dr. Northup was featured in an article in the Wall Street Journal for outstanding patient follow-up and was elected by fellow surgeons as President of the ASMBS Ohio-Kentucky Chapter from 2013-2016.

In 2020, he received the Ohio Top Doctor and Best Bariatric Surgeon awards, and in 2021 received the ASMBS Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Northup specializes in laparoscopic bariatric procedures including laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, laparoscopic Roux-n-Y gastric bypass and bariatric revisional procedures. Dr. Northup is known for his personable, caring manner.