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South Jersey Babies
Kennedy vs. Virtua and SO many questions...
I know, it's been posted about before but it seems like hardly anyone here has delivered at Kennedy. Why?
Most OBGYN/midwife groups I've come across so far have relationships with one or the other hospital so it's really of concern for me starting out that I pick a doctor/midwife affiliated with a great hospital that I'd feel comfortable delivering in. I understand that the NICU at Kennedy is a lower tier than Virtua, but it's also brand new, from what I read, so it's equipment is probably cutting edge, right?
I'm considering University Doctors in Wash Twp (UMDNJ) affiliated with Kennedy and Women's Health Associates in Turnersville affiliated with Virtua. Any input on either practice?
IDK if I'll be high risk as I'm so early on. I'm located in Gloucester County, if that's helpful.
How early do you think it's acceptable to take hospital tours and not seem silly? 
If you're delivering or have delivered at Kennedy, I'd love to hear from you. Thanks again.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Kennedy vs. Virtua and SO many questions...
I also heard that Kennedy completely revamped their neonatal unit and that it is state of the art. With that said, I haven't heard much else.
I personally am choosing to deliver at Virtua Voorhees. Initially it was really a choice of proximity and my OB/GYN's affiliation with the hospital. Since I've been having some pregnancy issues, I'm now glad I made that decision because of their NICU ratings. Hopefully I won't need to use it, but it's a possibility for me.
As for hospital tours, I took the tour at the start of my second trimester. Most people on the tour were about ready to pop, but I think it's better to see the hospital early instead of later because it gives you plenty of time to rethink your decision if you don't like what you see. Since you are torn, go take a tour of Virtua and Kennedy now so you can make an informed decision.
Good luck!
Thanks for the feedback, ladies. I think we might do a tour of Kennedy (I might feel a little silly since I'm not even close to showing yet!) and see what we think.
Also, thanks for the input on the University Doctors. My old OBGYN (Phoenix) was always like that, so I guess I just assumed they all were. Thanks again for the info!
You can look at my posts below in the other threads about Kennedy v. Virtua. I am pro-Kennedy and loved delivering there both times. If I were having another child I would even go as far as changing my OB practice because now it is only affiliated w/Virtua and I have no intrest in delivering there if I don't have to (i.e. complications).
My 2nd daughter was very sick shorty after she was born with a bacterial infection in her blood and she was admitted to Kennedy for 10 days. They have a working relationship with Cooper and while some Cooper docs came over to see her, they never mentioned transferring her out of Kennedy - which was great, because Kennedy is a lot closer to me then Virtua. I basically lived at the hospital for 10 days and it was nice to be super close.
I would tour both places and decide after that. I have never known anyone who has delivered at both hospitals, so I think its impossible to find an unbiased opinion.
As for OB reccomendations, I always assumed every practice was crazy busy. My group has 4 OBs and a NP and I always waited at least 45mins past my appointment time to be seen. I just learned to plan ahead and bring a book!
GL! Let me know if you have specific questions about Kennedy. I think I'm only one of 2 moms on here that delivered there.
I've read your comments, yes; they were really helpful. And thank you SO much for your input; it's nice to speak to someone who's actually delivered at Kennedy. It is also much closer to home for me (we're in Mullica Hill) as well. Hubby actually just signed us up to tour in early April so I'll check it out first hand. I'm going to keep the first appt I made with University Doctors (I was referred by a friend) and just see how I feel about the practice and then the hospital, after my tour. Feel things out. I have a backup in mind (another friend used WHA and highly recommends) and I know Virtua is a sound bet, but it is far and it seems so big...IDK. One step at a time, I think. Thank you so much. I may follow up with you by PM to ask questions as I get further along in the process. It seems so overwhelming, just starting out. But you can always switch docs, right?
Thanks again.
Since you're in Mullica Hill, have you looked at Women's Health Care of Mullica Hill? I see Dr. O'Flynn and Patty Madden (certified midwife) and love them both.
They deliver at Kennedy and Dr. O'Flynn highly recommended it for its NICU and state of the art set-up. I'll be delivering at Elmer, their other hospital, because it's closer but if we expect any complications, she will discuss switching to Kennedy.
You know I saw them on my insurance provider list online but I hadn't met anyone who has gone there. Tell me more! What's the CNM like? Is there one doctor and one midwife? I don't see a website for them online. I'd love to here more if you don't mind. Have you gone there for a while or did you select them after becoming pregnant? TIA!
I haven't delivered yet but I use University Doctors and I'll be delivering at Kennedy. We're in Washington Twp so I didn't even consider driving out of town for another hospital. Kennedy has always provided great care for other things when I've needed surgery or the ER. My coworker delivered there and had nothing bad at all to say.
It's definitely a personal choice so I'd do what pp said and tour both hospitals.
And yes, University Doctors can be a bit "crowded" at times in the waiting room but I always feel like I'm getting great care there. I've seen all the doctors and midwives so far and they're great. Dr. Salerno also treated my endometriosis and helped me get pregnant.
Thanks for your input! I have my first appt with UD - one of their midwives - in a few weeks (it's taking FOREVER to get to that appt, let me tell you) and I'm praying they'll give me an 8 wk U/S then so I can relax slightly. (not likely but still)
I have a Kennedy tour the week following so I can check it out. Thanks for your input
GL to you!
Good luck! Their midwives are all really nice. My first pg appt was with Robin and I loved her (and I go back to see her next week). She explained so much and really took her time with everything. Just an FYI, they don't have a good ultrasound machine in the office so they send you elsewhere for that. I had all mine done at MFM at Kennedy but I'm not sure if that's where everyone goes. I was potential high-risk because of my medical history so I had a consult there. I had my first u/s at 9w6d to confirm how far along I was.
Oh, and it's much easier to make appointments after your first one. I need evening appointments and I've had no problem getting them every other week. It's just the first one that takes forever since they need a longer block of time to meet with you.
A few years ago I went to Univ docs and I vowed I'd never return. One of the nurse practitioners violated HIPAA and started loudly discussing my OB issues while I was walking out to the front desk.
I went to Elmwood penncare for my dd and delivered at Underwood. That was a mistake.
That said, for future children I picked a different practice in the area that delivers at Kennedy. I live nearby and I need close proximity to a NICU just in case, as I spent the longest two weeks of my life at Underwood and there was a huge chance she would've been taken to Lourdes if she were any worse off.
Kennedy's NICU has had a huge makeover and they have a Ronald McDonald area if you need it (although it sounds like you are local). They've been very accomodating to all of my questions and they have a great MFM as well. They will give you tours (although not the NICU unit for understandable reasons).
Also, this sounds cheesey as a reason in comparison to other reasons, but all rooms are private at Kennedy, where that's not always the case at Virtua.
Their MFM left a bad taste in my mouth at Virtua during my last pregnancy, as they refused to discuss issues I had that weren't directly related to my OB;s referral to them. (I had a partial previa and they refused to discuss my growing concern about my bp that my OB didn't think was a big deal.)
I feel pretty good about my decision to go with Kennedy for my future pregnancies.
I'm glad to see you made an appointment with UD instead of Women's Health Associates. I went to Women's Health Associates for my first pregnancy (miscarriage) and did not have a good experience.
To make a long story short, I went in for an u/s due to cramping. They couldn't get a good image so sent me to booth radiology. Booth radiology did the u/s but didn't tell us anything, so I went straight back to my doctor's office. My NP refused to talk to me about my scan and had a front desk assistant send me home (it was like 6pm) to wait for a phone call. I didn't not get a phone call until the next day in the afternoon. It was a horrible experience!
Anyway, UD has been so much better. I get all my u/s done at Maternal Fetal Imaging at Kennedy and they have great equipment with a doctor who is right there to talk to you if there are any issues. At UD, the office tends to be crowded and they can run late on there appointments, but overall, I've been very happy with them.
Wow ladies, this information has been incredibly helpful. I've set up tours of both Virtua and Kennedy and I have an appt with Robyn at UD in two weeks. I'm considering a second appt with WHA (Dr Freehill) to compare and contrast the two. Then, we'll be touring both maternity wards the week after my first appointment at UD. So once I have more info at hand, I feel like I'll be better able to make this decision. (I'm a super research nut)
I had heard that UD doesn't have an U/S on site, which I was bummed about. WHA does, and they are pretty standard about an 8 week U/S. I have been told that UD typically only does a 20 wk U/S (?).
Is it weird if I see both practices to see how I feel about them? I don't know if that's a no no!
ETA: My close GF delivered at Virtua 6 wks ago and they were so over capacity she was forced to share a room. Although her roommate was nice, she said the cleanliness of the shared bath was an issue and housekeeping wasn't responsive, as well as a few other issues...so the private room thing at Kennedy does hold some weight when you consider all of that and newborns in the mix!
Thank you, again, for all this wonderful insight. I truly appreciate it.
I'm sorry to hear of your loss and the way you were treated. That is unfortunate.
They'll send you for an earlier ultrasound to confirm your due date (and if they happen to not suggest it, push for it so you can get that confirmation). They have a machine on-site but it's ancient and doesn't show much when you're that early. They tried it with me because I wasn't sure if I was 7 weeks or 12 weeks at my first appointment but since I was so early, it didn't show anything (which confirmed the midwife's suspicion that I was 7 weeks). The u/s at MFM at Kennedy is great.
I see nothing wrong with seeing docs at 2 practices just to get a feel for what you will like better. It will be a long 9 months if you aren't happy with the doctor you chose. Good luck!
Thanks! I'll keep you posted, if you want
I know I'm a little late in sending this, but I have been a patient of Dr. Salerno's at University Doctors since I was 17(I'm now 31) and LOVE that practice! I had such a great experience there when I was pregnant not to mention how I'm pleased with just that practice in general when I have to go in for my annual visits. You'll love it there, and you should try to get in to see Dr. Salerno~he's the greatest! I also delivered at Kennedy in dec.08 and had a wonderful experience there too. If you have any questions about anything, feel free to send me a message.
No, not late, I check back frequently
Thanks for your input. I actually went to UD last night for my first appt and I saw the midwife I was referred to -- I really liked her. I have an US tomorrow night and I did my bloodwork right on site last night. I did like the office, nurses, the CNM, etc. It seemed nice. Thanks for your input!
I have hospital tours set for next week to see Kennedy and Virtua so that will be good.
I actually found out last night that Virtua doesn't allow midwife deliveries -- I did not know that. That may further sway my decision bc I really want to try the midwife route. I'll see how the hospital tours go... Thanks again ladies!
I'm glad you had a good experience at University Doctors. I can concur that Dr. Salerno is awesome. He treated my endometriosis & cyst and he helped me get pg. There are so many great practitioners at that office. I've been trying to see them all since I won't know who will deliver my baby,
I delivered my first daughter using a midwife at Kennedy (she has since left the practice). I LOVED every second of it! There were disinct differences between my midwife delivery and when my OB delivered my seond daughter -- I much prefer the care from a midwife. Good luck!
Ladies:
Ok so here's the update if you're still interested!
I had my first appt with Robyn at UD. Loved her. Wait time was minimal. Reception was friendly, efficient. Office was fairly nice. Loved the private weigh in. Loved that I wasn't hassled about my weight, period (which is several pounds more than it should be to start, but that's my story for another day). Loved the welcome package, reading material, recommended reading list. Loved the ratio of female midwives to doctors and female doctors to male (personal preference). Just loved everything and felt super comfortable. Blood work done right on site.
I was referred to Kennedy's medical imaging center for proper dating via U/S. I saw Robyn on Tuesday night, they were able to schedule me by Thursday night. I got stuck in traffic then lost (new to this part of NJ) but they directed me and were super nice and accommodating. I also loved this facility. Let me just say, I'm a bit of a snob. But I found this environment to be clean, new and very pleasant. I had an external US, my baby measured ahead of my best charting estimate (!), I got lovely photos, saw AND heard the glorious little heartbeat, and I left such a happy girl. (And I got to pee in a super clean private bath off of the U/S room right after we were done, after chugging 32 ounces and holding it for 2.5 hours, I was more than ready and very relieved.)
On Friday I had my "interview" appointment with WHA in Washington Township. I saw the nurse practitioner there. While I really warmed to her personality right away, there were a few things I didn't care for about this office. 1. Weigh station is centrally located in the middle of the intake rooms. 2. Empty waiting room yet I waited nearly an hour for my appointment. I did like that the NP had me in her office for a moment before we got down to business ? but I have to say, there was some male doctor shadowing her or observing. He actually came into the exam room. I wasn?t asked if that was okay or anything. I felt very weird about it. Not like, creeped out, just thought it should have been better explained or I should have been given the option to have him present or not. My opinion, anyway. Anyway, NP and I and hubby discussed our concerns, how we were doing our homework ? I was very open about why I was there, how I was weighing the two hospitals and providers, where I was in the process and how I was considering changing practices to deliver at Virtua if I felt the hospital was a better fit. Honestly, all the NP did through the course of the appointment was really convince me that Kennedy was just as good a facility as Virtua. It was strange. She?d begin her sentences like it would be a positive about Virtua, but it was really just a way to say Kennedy was just as good! She herself was an L&D nurse at Kennedy for years. She?d also worked in L&D at Virtua. (She does not deliver herself.)
I just wasn?t as comfortable at WHA overall, even though I liked the NP and her practical, forthcoming nature. Although I liked her I didn?t love the office. And I certainly can say I felt more comfortable at UD overall. So far, Kennedy?s facilities have been very impressive, as well. Granted I?ve only been to Virtua to visit (my tour is scheduled for this weekend so I?ll have more insight then, but?) In any case, I closed out last week feeling like Kennedy/UD are a sound fit for us. (Tonight, I?ll be touring Kennedy?s maternity ward.)
Thanks again for all your wonderful input. I hope these details might be helpful for others, too. Thanks.