The Franciscan Physician Network Center for Midwifery is now open in Crown Point, expanding Franciscan Health Crown Point’s offerings to meet the healthcare needs of women of all ages.
“Franciscan Health Crown Point has consistently built and broadened our services to meet the needs of the community by advancing technology such as our robotics program, broadening our expertise as evidenced with our partnership with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital for neonatal intensive care services, and now, expanding our choices for women’s services through our midwifery center,” Franciscan Health Crown Point President and CEO Daniel McCormick, MD, said.
Women's health services offered at the Center include maternity services (including prenatal, childbirth and postnatal care), menopause management, wellness education and wellness exams.
The Center for Midwifery joins Franciscan Health Crown Point’s expansive portfolio of care options for expectant women and infants, including a full complement of obstetricians, gynecologists, maternal fetal medicine specialists and specialized emergency obstetric care.
The Indiana State Department of Health in 2022 recertified Franciscan Health Crown Point's Family Birth Center as a Level III obstetric and neonatal Level of Care facility. Level III hospitals are equipped to care for complex maternal medical conditions and obstetric complications as well as infants requiring neonatal intensive care. The NICU is staffed by Lurie Children’s neonatologists through a partnership that began in the fall of 2022.
The Franciscan Health Family Birth Center Crown Point is now offering nitrous oxide for women in labor as an alternative to other pain relief options. Expectant families also have the support of the free YoMingo parent education app with educational content and tools for pregnancy and the early stages of parenthood.
“Franciscan Health Crown Point has a commitment to deliver the very best to the community and will always work to grow as Northwest Indiana grows and seeks services close to home,” Dr. McCormick said.
The Franciscan Physician Network Center for Midwifery is staffed by four certified nurse midwives, including Shannon Markle, Heather Jackson, Jessica Jenkins and Lori Oxley, all of whom are accepting new patients. The Center is located in the Medical Arts Building adjacent to Franciscan Health Crown Point at 297 W. Franciscan Drive, Suite 103B, in Crown Point. Future plans include a new office location at Franciscan Point, 12800 Mississippi Parkway in Crown Point.