Shady Grove Medical Center Leads Maryland in Innovative C-Section Care
Shady Grove Medical Center is rewriting the C-section experience with compassionate, evidence-based care that helps new moms heal faster and bond sooner.
When it comes to helping new mothers recover from cesarean births, Shady Grove Medical Center is leading the way, not just in our community, but across the state of Maryland.
In October 2024, our Birth Center team launched an evidence-based approach called Enhanced Recovery After Cesarean, or ERAC. This protocol is designed to support faster healing, improve comfort and create a better experience for patients who deliver via C-section.
As part of the protocol, the Birth Center team introduced Joeyband, a device that helps moms securely position babies for skin-to-skin contact. Shady Grove was the first hospital in Maryland to introduce Joeyband as part of its ERAC program. Since then, four other hospitals have reached out to learn how we are using it in our care model.
Immediate Skin-to-Skin Bonding in the OR
Joeyband helps make immediate skin-to-skin bonding possible in the operating room. Before Joeyband, only a few Shady Grove C-section patients each year were able to hold their newborns skin-to-skin immediately after surgery due to surgical drapes, positioning challenges and the need to maintain sterile conditions. With Joeyband, babies can be securely positioned, allowing more than 70% of parents to experience that powerful, early connection in the OR.
A Drop in Opioid Use after Birth
We have also seen meaningful results in reducing opioid use directly linked to the use of the Joeyband during C-section recovery. For patients with scheduled cesarean births who used Joeyband, opioid use in the hospital dropped from an average of 11.8 morphine milliequivalents per day to just 4.5. Even more encouraging, 58% of those patients did not need any opioids at all during their stay, and 24% did not require a prescription after discharge. These improvements came without any increase in hospital stays or readmissions, and patients even reported lower pain scores.
Impact on Families
“What is most meaningful to me is what we see every day on our unit,” said Camie Bruhweiler, RN, Clinical Quality Outcomes Manager, Labor and Delivery. “Moms are recovering more comfortably, bonding with their babies sooner and going home feeling stronger. That is the real impact this program is having at Shady Grove.”
Because of these outcomes, members of our Women’s and Infants’ Services team have been invited to share their work with peers across the region. Earlier this year, Camie Bruhweiler, RN, presented on ERAC at the Maryland Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses conference. AWHONN brings together maternal care leaders from across the region to share best practices and innovations, making this an important opportunity to showcase the impact that ERAC has had for families who deliver at Shady Grove Medical Center.
“Camie and our staff did an excellent job representing Shady Grove at the conference and sharing best practices with peers,” said Amber Richter, RN, Director of Women’s and Infants’ Services. “We’re proud of the improvements we’re seeing for families and the positive difference this program is making in the care we provide.”
