The Labor and Delivery Unit and Obstetric Anesthesia Service at St. Luke’s Anderson Campus have been designated as a Center of Excellence by the Society of Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology, putting them in elite company with select, national organizations that provide the highest level of safe and effective anesthesia care for women and their babies.

The four-year designation recognizes institutions and programs that demonstrate excellence in obstetric anesthesia care and meet a benchmark of expected care to improve standards nationally and internationally, which focus on reducing mortality before, during and after childbirth.

With this designation, St. Luke’s becomes only the third health system in Pennsylvania to achieve this recognition, joining the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Thomas Pfeiffer, MD, director of obstetric anesthesia for St. Luke’s University Health Network, said this recognition confirms the strength of the organization’s ongoing commitment to implementing best practices in providing pain relief and safe newborn delivery across the network, where nearly 5,000 babies are born annually.

“Our focus on continuous communication, education and collaboration with our high-risk patients and their multidisciplinary team of primary care, OB, maternal-fetal medicine and anesthesia physicians follows our rigorous policies, plans and practices in caring for our medically complex patients,” Dr. Pfeiffer said. Kristal Nemeroff, of Effort, experienced this extraordinary level of specialized care at St. Luke’s during her pregnancy and the birth of her second son, Christian. Born with a genetic condition known as osteogenesis imperfecta, or “brittle bones disease,” Nemeroff’s high-risk pregnancy and complex delivery received continuous, careful attention and planning from her entire team, resulting in a safe, uncomplicated birth via caesarean delivery on March 21, 2022.

Possible complications, including bone fractures, hemorrhage or even death were avoided due to this preparation and teamwork - with her at the center - led by her maternal fetal medicine specialist Hannah Anastasio, MD.

Several members of the Complex Mothers Team met with Nemeroff to address her concerns and minimize risk. “I was amazed by the fantastic, compassionate and diligent care I received from the MFM team,” said the 36-year-old mother of two. “Mine wasn’t an average case, and all the doctors listened to me, knew the details of my condition and were prepared to deliver my baby. They all made me feel so comfortable, safe and understood.”

Dr. Pfeiffer led the institution’s efforts to achieve this designation, which required a rigorous, multifactorial review of St. Luke’s Anderson Campus’s staffing, protocols, training, quality reviews and technology by Society of Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology.