St. Luke's Stories

2008-05-27T12:38:00.000-07:00

To All,

I have been a volunteer at St. Luke's for about two years and am a retiree from the San Francisco Fire Department.

As a volunteer I have seen a lot of good things happen at St. Luke's and as well as being a volunteer I have been admitted there a number of times because of a stent that was put into me about four years ago at CPMC. The continuing treatment was done at St. Luke's. My Primary care doctor is Kenneth Barnes and along with Dr. Edward Kersh, the Cardiac doctor at St. Luke's. They have brought me back to full health.

This Hospital should never be closed this hospital serves all of the outer Mission area and is needed greatly for all kinds of medical treatments for the area.

As a volunteer I have seen many people as I help discharge them from the hospital. All of them are very concerned about this hospital being closed.

One patient I remember more that others was a little old lady that I was called to assist and transport from Dr Kersh's Office to the emergency department. She was having problems breathing. I got her there fast and the treatment was excellent, she was admitted and treated and everything was fine. I saw her later in the month and she was so happy to have this hospital here to help save her. She thanked me very much for helping her and was glad that there was a volunteer there when she need one.

There are many other stories I am sure that could be told of occurrences like this.

KEEP THIS HOSPITAL OPEN IT IS NEEDED VERY MUCH.

SINCERELY, RESPECTFULLY AND APPRECIATIVELY

MR. BRUCE H. TURMENNE
SAN FRANCISCO CA. 94110
CHIEF ENGINEER S.F.F.D.

2008-01-16T21:10:00.000-08:00

Dear Dr. Brotman:

I am a doctor at San Francisco General Hospital, a mother of two, and an avid supporter of St. Luke's Hospital. I received exemplary pre- and postnatal care under Dr. Laura Norrell and Midwife Yeshi Neumann over the last few years. The services they offer are not matched by any other facility in the San Francisco vicinity.

Understanding medical situations from both the patient and the doctor perspective, I am confident that, for the birth of my first child, I would've undergone an emergency C-section had I been at a different hospital. The L&D and maternity wards' nurses are highly trained to accommodate the unique, more natural approaches of these doctors and midwives; keeping the inpatient wards intact is crucial to supporting the obstetrical practice.

For my second pregnancy, a coexisting medical condition made it a very difficult pregnancy from the very beginning. Dr. Norrell and Yeshi were able to help me navigate through the toughest of those times with extraordinary availability and grace, along with Dr. Christian Tuan, who was my endocrinologist.

These are testaments to the extraordinary practitioners at St. Luke's Hospital, but also a testament to what a smaller community hospital can provide. As a health professional, I know how difficult it is to provide personal and exceptional care. St. Luke's does this, and provides such services to its immediate community. This is a model more hospitals and medical centers can follow.

Please do the right thing by keeping St. Luke's outpatient and inpatient services alive. Our community counts on it!

Sincerely,

Cynthia Li, MD

Staff Physician, Internal Medicine

San Francisco General Hospital, Clinic 4J

1001 Potrero AveSan Francisco, CA 94110

2007-12-16T15:54:00.000-08:00

St Luke's is a blessing!

Christine Tweety Pyston

2007-12-13T20:42:00.000-08:00

Me, my mom, and my step dad all use St. Luke’s. I have used the emergency room there. I do not want to have to go far away to the hospital. I don’t drive. I have migraine headaches, neck pain, leg pain. Also I am HIV positive and I have breathing problems.

I need this hospital.

Name omitted
San Francisco, CA 94110
Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center Senior Program

2007-12-13T20:41:00.000-08:00

For the past 5 years I go to St. Luke’s every 3-6 months. The closure of St. Luke’s would be very serious.

I don’t know where I would go for my care if St. Luke’s closed.

Roselee Higdon
San Francisco, CA 94110
Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center Senior Program

2007-12-13T20:39:00.000-08:00

I live in Bernal Heights and I have been going to St. Luke's since 1947.
St. Luke’s is close to my home and my children were born at St. Luke’s. I don’t have a car and it so would be hard for me to go across town to the hospital without St. Luke’s

Julia Yim
San Francisco, CA 94110
Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center Senior Program

2007-12-13T20:37:00.000-08:00

Mi Familia ha estado en St. Luke’s por 15 años. Es mas conveniente tener un hospital cerca donde vivo, porque en una emergencia me atenderan rapido, en casos de emergencia lleveran los paramedicos a mi madre a este hospital. La atendieron muy bien en este hospital a mi madre, el servicio es excelente tanto los doctores como las enfermeras, les suplico no lo cierren

My family has used St. Luke’s for 15 years. It is more convenient to have a hospital near where I live. Because n an emergency I would be seen quickly. When there was an emergency the paramedics took my mother to this hospital. They were attentive to her in the hospital. The service is excellent; The doctors as well as the nurses. I am begging please don’t close it.

Piedad Dennos
San Francisco, CA 94110
Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center Senior Program

2007-12-13T20:36:00.000-08:00

CPMC’s plan would create hardship for me, no access to Emergency Room Services. I would be forced to go way across town to another E.R. Many people will be in the same situation as me.

Teresa Laxamara
San Francisco, CA 94110
Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center Senior Program

2007-12-13T20:33:00.000-08:00

I personally use St. Luke’s for my emergency services. Also, I am a social worker that works with seniors and adults with disabilities that rely SOLEY on St. Luke’s for emergency and hospital care ( primary and urgent). Their conditions are very serious and having to travel farther to SFGH can negatively impact their treatment and healing. It is important to have St. Luke’s in our community because a lot of people rely on the services to live. It is primarily a low income community who will suffer. Closing down St. Luke’s would be an injustice to the people (children, youth, adults, seniors) of San Francisco!

Jenah Yangwas
San Francisco, CA 94116
Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center Senior Program

2007-12-13T20:32:00.000-08:00

I live in the immediate vicinity of St. Luke’s Hospital. I have used St. Luke’s for 30 years. My eldest grandchild and two other siblings were delivered there. Being elderly, I’m 81 years old, it’s starting to feel hard to go to far hospitals.

Anita M. Juason
San Francisco, CA 94110Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center Senior Program

2007-12-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

I was very upset when I heard that the St. Luke's birthing facilities might be closed down. This is a terrible mistake, they are a vital part of our community which we can not live without! I gave birth to my son, Finley Ruth Rodriguez, at St. Luke's on April 13, 2006. My husband and I chose St. Luke's because of their superb reputation and their proximity to our home. We wanted to birth our baby in OUR community. Our whole experience at St. Luke's was perfect. We have sung the praises of Homestyle Midwifery and St. Luke's to everyone we know and meet. Please do not close our local birthing center. Finley and I walk by St. Luke's almost every day and each time we pass it I proudly tell him that he was born there. Don't take away his sibling's right to be born at St. Luke's, as well as countless other neighborhood children who need a local, trustworthy hospital with an excellent record to nurture them into the world.It would be a terrible injustice for the planned closure of St. Luke's birthing facilities to continue. Please don't let it happen. We need St. Luke's to keep bringing new life safely into the world.

Sincerely,
Molly Ruth Rodriguez

2007-11-22T16:23:00.000-08:00

I am writing to express to you my concerns about the impending closure of the St. Luke's NICU. My daughter, Mica, was born at St. Lukes last December. Her birth was attended by a Homestyle midwife. The birth was wonderful and without complication, but when she was born Mica had excessive fluid in her lungs and needed to be under an oxygen hood for 24 hrs, and on IV antibiotics for another 24 hrs. Although we live across town, we chose St. Lukes because of Homestyle Midwifery. We have private insurance and wanted a midwife group that could support me in my decision to try to deliver without pain medication. After interviewing other midwife groups around the city, Homestyle was the only one that was truely equipped to help me. Closing the NICU at St. Lukes, and the ensuing fallout to the birth practicioners that use the hospital, would be a tremendous loss to the birthing community of this city.

Thank you for considering my concerns,
Sarah Reed

2007-11-22T16:11:00.000-08:00

Dear Dr. Brotman,

I am a resident of the Mission and I gave birth to my first child at St. Luke's last October. After extensive hospital visits and research, I chose St. Luke's above all other options in the city because of its affiliation with Homestyle Midwifery. I am privately insured, and could have chosen one of the cross-town hospitals that are, perhaps, considered more "state of the art." However, what we wanted was quiet, non-intrusive, respectful care close to our home. We found it at St. Luke's. I was very grateful not to have to travel across town at the height of my labor. Upon arriving at St. Luke's, I found the attending doctor and nurse to be kind, supportive, and very respectful of our desire for an unmedicated birth. It was due to our extremely positive birth experience at St. Luke's that I chose to keep my gynecological care with Dr. Laura Norell after my birth. I know many women who have done the same. I have resources and choices that many of my neighbors here in the southern section of San Francisco do not have, and I can easily go to any doctor or hospital that I choose. I wonder what will happen to the people who do not have fancy insurance, or vehicles in which to traipse across town, when they need medical care. SF General is already overloaded, and from my friend's most recent experience there, if you aren't a trauma case, it may take hours to be seen there. For my next child, if birth at St. Luke's were not available, I would probably not choose CPMC, due to the fact that they have a reputation for a more conservative birthing program. I guess I would have to—somewhat begrudgingly—choose UCSF, due to the fact that they do work with midwives and doulas. But I would certainly prefer to stay in the neighborhood. Sutter sites the fact that St. Luke's is losing money as a good reason to close the hospital. I can't help but think that if St. Luke's were considered overall to be a better hospital, that it would draw manymore privately insured individuals, like myself, from nearby—and increasingly affluent—neighborhoods, such as Eureka Valley, NoeValley, Glen Park, and Bernal Heights. Rather than closing St Luke's, why not overhaul it, market it, and draw some of those private-pay clients, who would prefer not to go across town? It is my sincere hope that the needs of our community will be reconsidered, and that instead of closing St, Luke's, Sutter Health will instead strive to raise the level of medical care there in all departments and thus provide much-needed services to all residents of the southern part of our city.

Sincerely,
Sara Hale

2007-11-21T00:27:00.000-08:00

PLEASE SAVE ST. LUKES

I chose St. Luke’s for several reasons: it has one of the lowest Caesarean rates in the country, because it offered a home-style birth in a hospital setting and it was close to my home. This turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life.

The midwives at Home-style Midwifery and Dr. Norrel provided impeccable care throughout my pregnancy and birth, beyond what I could have imagined from the medical industry. I was given very clear, thorough and up-to-date information in all areas of pregnancy and birth, allowing me to make informed decisions about my pregnancy. I was given a lot of love and support from the Home-style team, which helped me come to terms with new motherhood.

What could have been a potentially traumatizing birth experience, (3+ days of labor and virtually no sleep) turned out to be one of the most transformative experiences of my life. Seeing the familiar faces of the midwives and my doula gave me a great deal of courage and sense of security. It was comforting to be coached by women whom I had come to know well, alleviating much of my fear and pain. Thankfully, I gave birth to a very healthy, happy, and strong little boy. I believe given the length of my labor, I would have ended up with a C-Section and perhaps other interventions had I been admitted to another hospital. At St. Luke’s, I was given the time to birth my son naturally and to experience one of the most incredible and challenging rites of passages I will ever know.

In today’s world, most hospitals are medical bureaucracies of records and technology, and the human side of health care has taken a backseat. My birth story is one I hold dear to my heart and will tell my son throughout his life. He will know the names Yeshi, Michelle, Becca, Julie, Cynthia and Dr. Laura Norrell. Having shared my story with other mothers, I have found that my experience in the Bay Area is unique. And many women have told me they would choose Home-style for their first or next birth after hearing my story. I am saddened to think of all the women who would lose that chance if St. Luke’s were closed. As far as I know, St. Luke’s is the ONLY place in the Bay Area that offers a home-style birth in a hospital setting. Other hospitals should learn from St. Luke’s, not close it. To do so, would be a great tragedy and disservice to the citizens of San Francisco. I feel extremely fortunate that I, the underinsured, actually had a choice and an opportunity to get the BEST obstetric care in the city. I wish the same possibilities for all women. Please keep St. Luke’s open and please follow in their footsteps in providing healthy and safe care to birthing moms.

Sincerely,
Heather Carpenter and Little Joe

2007-11-21T00:21:00.000-08:00

Dear Dr. Brotman and Mr. Katz,

I gave birth to my son, Oskar Mason, at St. Lukes hospital on January 28, 2006 with the help of Homestyle Midwifery and Nr. Laura Norell. I carefully chose St. Lukes for the unique kind of care offered through St. Lukes and Homestyle. I was well attended to and my desire for a low/no intervention birth centered around my and my baby's needs were met with excellence and grace. I had a wonderful experience at St. Lukes. After taking his first breath, my son stopped breathing and was rushed to the NICU. There he received the most amazing and special care from the NICU nurses led by Dr. Roth. I was able to stay in the hospital with him -- only about 100 feet away -- for the five days he was in the NICU. As a result, we were able to bond and I was able to begin breastfeeding almost immediately. I know from familial experience, that if he had had to be taken to another facility, it would have been traumatic. My sister in law gave birth six months later at a Sutter birthing facility in Santa Cruz with no NICU. Her son had to be taken to another hospital and because of her condition after the birth, she wasn't able to see him for five full days. It was very traumatic for her and her baby. I would not consider giving birth in a hospital without a NICU for that reason. Please protect the unique and high quality care St. Lukes was able to offer my family by keeping the NICU open. The city will not be the same without it.

Sincerely,Rhys Mason

2007-11-19T07:18:00.000-08:00

We are writing to express our urgent wish that St. Luke¹s Hospital continueto promote and expand its in-patient, midwife-assisted delivery program, as currently carried out by both Homestyle Midwifery and the St. Luke's midwife practice. We feel strongly that the innovative relationship with Homestyleand St. Luke's maternity ward should be preserved, and even expanded within St. Luke's; it has the potential to serve as a point of pride for the hospital and as a model to inspire other maternity centers to reach new levels of excellence in patient care.

Both our babies were delivered by the midwives, and we were exceptionally satisfied with the excellent care that we received at St. Luke's. We have recommended it to many friends and see it as testament to Sutter Health's visionary approach to health care for families. The hospital offers a unique and essential option and we hope that even more families are able to take advantage of this important blend of individualized out- and in-patient services. I delivered two nine and a half pound babies with their support without pain medications!

Wary of many hospitals' high rate of Caesarean Section and the more rushed, haphazard care of other practices, we sought a maternity practice that offered high-quality services to promote a natural birth, while still in a hospital setting. During our first birth, the amazing support of the Homestyle team, in collaboration with the St. Luke's midwives, brought me through a 17-hour labor, with a 5-hour pushing phase, even when I was 15 days overdue. In any other setting, I would have been required to do a Caesarian section. Our first baby, Dahlia Catherine Miner Kapelke, was born on February 15 with the delivery made possible through the excellent work ofboth Yeshi¹s team and the St. Luke¹s staff. She is nearly three now avery healthy girl who was nursed until 22 months which was also made possible through the support of Homestyle. The maternity and post-partum care was so nurturing and supportive that I believe my baby and I benefited from healthier outcomes than we would have in any other circumstances.

We also delivered our second child at St. Luke's through Homestyle and with the assistance of highly competent St. Luke's midwives. Benjamin Miner Kapelke was born June 1, 2007 after a much shorter labor. Once again, St.Luke's and Homestyle honored my instincts and preferences.

This program should be a model for the rest of the country and acelebrated program of Sutter Health. Sutter Health should make every effort to preserve this collaboration and keep the maternity program thriving atSt. Luke's. Much evidence points to the positive outcomes of working with midwives, as well as the cost-effectiveness of this important kind of care. Please feel free to contact us if you have questions or would like to hearmore about our experience.

Meanwhile, thanks for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Charles and Cynthia Kapelke

2007-11-18T22:25:00.000-08:00

March 15, 2007

Martin Brotman
2351 Clay St.
7th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94115

Dear Mr. Brotman:
I am writing to you to share my enthusiasm and support for the Labor and Delivery program at St. Luke’s Hospital. I delivered my son in September 2004 at St. Luke’s Hospital through Homestyle Midwifery. Late in my pregnancy I developed a condition that increases the risk of stillbirth. Because of this I was in the Labor and Delivery ward for a few days and worked with many nurses and doctors, in addition to the Homestyle midwives. At every level my care was fantastic. I met with Yeshi Neumann and Dr. Laura Norrell to establish a course of action I was comfortable with to induce labor. As a team Dr. Norrell and Yeshi were respectful and receptive to my concerns and at the same time ensured that the safety of me and my baby were the top priority. Working with Homestyle Midwifery and the St. Luke’s staff I was able to naturally deliver a healthy baby. In addition to the doctors and midwives, the Labor and Delivery nurses at St. Luke’s were wonderful. The nurses were sensitive, competent, friendly, very caring, respectful, and responsive. In my opinion, the Labor and Delivery nurses went above and beyond the call of duty to provide the highest level of care. The commitment to safe and natural childbirth at St. Luke’s was very evident.
The sentiment that St. Luke’s provides a very important service to families in San Francisco is not one I share alone. I recently asked members of the Golden Gate Mother’s Group to share their thoughts on St. Luke’s Labor and Delivery: these letters are attached.*** In addition, a member of the Golden Gate Mother’s Group recently asked what hospitals were most supportive of natural childbirth in San Francisco. The responses were overwhelmingly in support of St. Luke’s. I have also attached this posting with the responses that relate to St. Luke’s. It is my understanding that changes are being considered at St. Luke’s based on the recent acquisition by CPMC. If any changes are made to St. Luke’s Labor and Delivery, I would strongly encourage those changes to bolster the current program.
Thank you for considering the thoughts of mothers who have experienced first-hand what a wonderful resource St. Luke’s Labor and Delivery is.

Sincerely,
Meredith Kurpius

Mother of Nolan, born 9/18/2004

> Hi Moms***
>
> I am currently with CMPC and just found out that they have very high
> epidural rate and c-section rate. This is very concerning for my
> husband and I because we would like a 'natural birth' (no meds, vaginal
> birth, no IV, etc.) for our son. We are concerning that they won't be
> supportive of our birthing plan.
>
> I heard that St. Luke's might be a better option for me since they are
> more experienced with natural births. However, I am calling out to
> mom's who have had a natural childbirth at CPMC or somewhere else and
> would recommend their medical group, hospital, etc. based on their
> experience.
>
> I am almost in my last trimester so it would be a drag to change now,
> but I want to be sure that I have the birthing experience that I want.
>
> I will post a summary.
>
> Thanks Moms!

Responses Regarding St. Luke’s:

-St. Lukes is fantastic! If you are interested you should check out St. Lukes Women's Center all of the Doctors and Midwives are AWESOME!!! Let me know if you would like any more info.

-I also was at CPMC and it really scared me, the C section rate and the fact that my medical doctor told me they don't allow Doulas in their practice. I politely walked out of her office after telling her that research shows that women who have Doulas feel better about their births. And usually they are shorter. In order for CPMC to have an anesthesiologist on the floor of labor and delivery that doctor needs to administer drugs to 80% of the mothers coming in. And they go door to door and solicit their services.Go to Homestyle Midwifery Program at St. Lukes, it is so fabulous. In the end I ended with a C-section but it was my idea. And not one of my healthcare team mentioned it to me. I was in prolonged labor which very very very rare. I feel really good about my birth. Call them to arrange a tour.415-643-3378 Speak with Yeshi Neumann. Also, homestylemw@... Check out their website too. You won't get Filet Mignon in the hospital afterwards, St. Lukes is a poor hospital, but these women rock and know what they are doing.

-You are right. If you want to go natural switch to St. Lukes or UCSF much more supportive of the natural childbirth. I loved being at CPMC but got the epidural. My pre-natal yoga teacher who's also a doula said she wouldn't deliver babies at CPMC because they really encourage women to get epidurals.

Stories of Healing: Health Commission Hearing

2007-11-16T15:48:00.000-08:00

From Pamela Zilavy's chronical of her experience of the Hearing to Save St. Luke's
November 13 at the SF Health Commission......

........This was such a great microcosm of San Francisco, your typicalfolks who came in to speak from the heart. It was really a very deep experience.

There was the casually well-dressed Hispanic SF nativewho gave his very impressive credentials, something like Vice President of the Education Commission (??) or something like that,but he came to tell his personal story of his 92-year old grandmother, his last surviving grandmother, who was tired, and was giving up, and he had been told to start thinking about `the next step' and so on. She then broke her hip, ended up at St. Luke’s, was there two nights, and his simple story was so touching. She was treated, taken such good care of, and was healed in the most real sense. That was last year and she has been happy and vibrant and still living on her own since.

There was a woman who gave the appearance of possibly being homeless, who told her story of stumbling into St. Luke's, literally, having gotten off the bus after having been turned away at SFGH, she was full of purulent sores and was essentially given her life back by the incredible care she was given. This is a San Franciscan who, while not educated nor necessarily eloquent in the typical sense, told a supremely personal story that pulled on everyone's heart strings.

...Each speaker had about 2 minutes to speak. There were 3 women who talked about having their babies at St. Luke’s, one with her baby'scord wrapped around her neck 3 times, who was there bouncing happily in her arms, one who while she has PPO insurance chooses to go to St.Luke’s because they saved her roommate who attempted suicide and now that [Psychiatry] unit is closed, and so on....

You can read the whole story of the hearing on our Breaking News blog.

2007-11-16T11:31:00.000-08:00

I have been fortunate to have all of my surgeries at St Luke's Hospital. All of these surgeries were successful. Living in the community, I am able to walk to St Luke's. I am happy to come to a place where my native tongue, Spanish, is spoken and I receive good care. The quality of care that I have been receiving is better than I have received in all of my life.

Miguel Cesa

2007-11-16T11:22:00.000-08:00

We are saddened by the potential loss of the best hospital. We have been coming to St. Luke's for many years and have been very satisfied and happy with the care all of our family members have received. We have been grateful that St Luke's has had bilingual staff. Having nurses and doctors that speak and understand Spanish made us feel comfortable, welcome and informed.

Yolanda Salas and Princess Zampini

2007-11-15T13:26:00.000-08:00

I am writing as a mother, architect and a neighbor.

I am outraged and saddened that you are intending to take away the best center for natural and safe birth in San Francisco. Our daughter was born in June 2006 and we were delighted by the professionalism of Dr. Norrell’s team and Home style Midwifery group. It was a safe and natural birth, like few places offer in this country.Your neighborhood needs you, your specific services are not offer anywhere else in the city. I have to stress the fact that more options for natural Chilbirth have to be provided and not removed. It is a need for those who want to give birth in a safe environment with a natural approach. We want the option. My husband was born at St-Lukes and so his daughter, 33 Years later. We intend to have more kids, we will be absolutely lost if you close this facility.

No other place in San Francisco has been up to our expectations.I believe that you need to hear us. For the future of our family and our children to come, please stay to make our neighborhood a better place with quality services and care.

Sincerely,
Martine Paquin
Your neighborhood

2007-11-14T09:38:00.000-08:00

Nov ‘07

Dear Sir/Madame,

The proposed closure of St. Lukes in 2009 and the imminent closure of the emergency services, NICU and pediatric wards is a HUGE mistake!

I had the pleasure of assisting women birthing in St. Lukes hospital, San Francisco over the past few years. I was introduced to St. Lukes early in my doula career. One of the first clients had chosen the Women’s Center at St. Lukes for the birth of her second child. The care during her first labor and birth at CPMC, while technically efficient and safe, left her emotionally fearful and unsatisfied. From that experience, she realized that what she wanted was midwifery care and a down-to-earth community facility. She had a wonderful empowering second labor, which she attributed to St. Lukes hospital.

My initial experience to St. Lukes was repeated time and again through many clients, who sought a childbirth experience which matched their values. Homestyle Midwifery and the midwives is a shining example of quality health care centered on women’s and baby’s best interests.

I am a duel citizen of Ireland and the US. San Francisco is not only a much-loved city by its inhabitants; it is also a well-known city internationally. I first decided to live in the Bay Area while traveling through Australia where fellow back-packers raved about the merits of this west coast city. The neighborhoods are by far the most treasured feature.

The current mission district hospital serves a dynamic and eclectic community. St. Lukes was my local hospital for several years while living in Glen Park. I felt at home in the area along with the Mexican immigrants and other Irish nationals. The model of care at St. Lukes is very similar to the public health care system in Ireland I grew up with. I am saddened and shocked by the prospect of denying local health care services to the neighborhood surrounding St. Lukes. This move to disenfranchise the community reflects poorly on a leading city such as San Francisco.

With hope for a better solution,
Germaine Reidy

2007-11-13T01:12:00.000-08:00

Dear Ms. Li:

I am a working mother who is often too busy to stop for five minutes in the middle of the day. However, I have set aside this time to write you a heartfelt letter about the future of St. Luke’s.

I am alarmed, saddened and outraged about at the potential closing of St. Luke’s. I had my birth at this amazing community hospital. The midwives and nurses there were wonderful, non-intrusive and knowledgeable; I always thought of St. Luke’s as a hidden gem in this city, and told anyone who would listen to get care there. They let me have the kind of birth I wanted. (I live in Bernal Heights, and I can’t imagine having to ride across town to CPMC’s California Street campus while having contractions!) I’ve also been to St. Luke’s emergency room, and had the amazing, personal and quick service that only a community place like St. Luke’s could provide. I have personally known doctors there, and they are of the highest caliber.

But the future of St. Luke’s goes beyond me and my experience. The women’s center at St. Luke’s has always been a busy place; I can’t imagine what scores of women, many low income, some using only public transportation, will do when they need attentive health care, especially for emergencies. Low-income women deserve low intervention, caring births as much as women with private insurance. To me, the move to close St. Luke’s OB and pediatrics is a huge blow to women and another step toward dividing this city between rich and poor. I have always thought of St. Luke’s a model that other hospitals should follow—NOT a place to shut down!

We are a progressive city and our citizens deserve better. Thank you for reading this letter. I don’t consider myself an activist, just a person who cares about this city, families, and the health of our community.

Warmly,
Nora
Nora IsaacsWriter & Editor Isaacs, Ink

2007-11-13T01:03:00.000-08:00

Mr. Martin Brotman, M.D

President and CEO California Pacific Medical Center

2100 Webster St.,#423San Francisco,California 94115

cc: Judy Li, DPH. MBA Chief Administrative Officer

St. Luke's Hospital 3555 Cesar Chavez San Francisco, CA 94110

Mitchell Katz, MDDepartment of Public Health

101 Grove StreetSan Francisco, CA 94102

State Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (12th district)

District Office455 Golden Gate Ave., Suite 14600

San Francisco, CA 94102

State Assembly member Mark Leno (13th district)

District Office455 Golden Gate Ave. Suite 14300

San Francisco, CA 94102

Dear Dr. Brotman,

I am writing to implore you to reconsider the decision to close St. Luke's as an inpatient hospital and cease NCE and pediatric care. We had our baby boy at St Luke's just last March. We switched to a practice working at St. Luke's (Homestyle Midwifery) because we wanted the most support for a natural and non-medicated childbirth in a hospital possible. Throughout my search we learned that many hospitals and practices say that they support whatever the woman decides, and we have no doubt that this is invariably true. However, the decisions that a hospital and doctors recommend are very much guided by many factors present in the "medical model" of childbirth. We didn't want to deliver our baby under this model, yet we weren't comfortable with a home birth either.

About midway through my pregnancy I switched from to St. Luke's because I was not satisfied with the care I was getting. The ob/gyn practice treated my completely normal healthy pregnancy like a potential threat, and my appointments were rushed and the practitioners impatient. I am so grateful that we caught word of the Homestyle practice at St. Luke's, and we were so lucky to get the last spot for the month I was due. I live nearby in the neighborhood Bernal Heights, so the location was even better. We couldn't believe how lucky we were.

My labor and delivery was truly exhilarating. Our son was born perfectly healthy (9 on the apgar) and is still thriving. Since I had lots of childbirth education both from my practitioners and through classes, not once did I ever feel concerned that this labor was going so long, or that I was pushing so long. My midwife and the nurses also never suggested that things were not progressing fast enough, and I never felt threatened enough to have an epidural or other medications. I don't consider the birth of our son a medical event that I had to endure.

Since his birth, I have had some shocked reactions about my practitioners "letting" me labor or push for so long. Since then a few acquaintances of mine (delivering in other states) have had similarly long labors and were led to Cesarean sections due to a "non-progressing labor," or were subtly pressured to have a pitocin and an epidural, although everything else was normal--they were just laboring long. These stories convince me that had I been anywhere other than St. Luke's, I would not be singing the praises I am today--either about the birth experience or about the hospital.

A lot of friends and acquaintance of mine here in the city are becoming aware of St. Luke's and its unique approach. The Homestyle practice is such a unique offering in the Bay Area, that I can imagine many more practices like it, all working in the gem that is St. Luke's. It seems as if there is a real opportunity here to revitalize and infuse St. Luke's with the midwife model of childbirth that is not available at any other hospital in the city.

Tina Joh, Bryan Olson and Cecil Joh

2007-11-13T00:35:00.000-08:00

May the stars shine down on you all and allow us success for if not a major crime is being committed. - Yvonne

November 12, 2007

Greetings Mr. Katz,

I understand the Labor and Delivery Maternity Care unit of St. Luke’s is being put forward for closure. I am very distressed by this and urge you and the others involved to reconsider the implications of these actions.

I gave birth to my daughter Isabel on Oct 31, 2005 at St. Luke’s. I found the care I got leading up to my delivery and the care I got throughout my delivery wonderful and the care my daughter and I received during our brief stay after her birth to be top rate as well. But it was much more then “wonderful” and “top rate”…. It was also VERY UNIQUE. I chose St. Lukes for the collaborative care of the midwives and obstetricians (in my case Homestyle Midwifery and Dr. Norrell). I was attracted by their track record of providing safe, low intervention births supported by pediatricians and neonatal intensive care unit. I feel blessed that I had the opportunity to experience and work with this warm, nurturing, experienced, and well supported group of individuals. I am proud to say that I had a wonderfully positive and energizing birthing experience that I share with many of individuals and have always been a strong recommender of St. Lukes to others. My dream is that everyone can have the option of this type of amazing birth experience.

Building on this last point I also feel it is critical that the city of San Francisco continue to provide care to all mothers and babies in need – regardless of socioeconomic or ethnic differences. St. Lukes is a critical component of being able to provide this care.

Best regards,

Yvonne Wassenaar