Gibson Area Hospital & Health Services | Gibson gets it! | Fall/Winter 2017

Gibson gets it! 7 Benjamin Brewer, MD, celebrates career milestone Every day at Gibson Area Hospital’s Baby Central is a special one for new parents. On the morning of Friday, May 26, it was also a day of celebration for family practice physician Benjamin Brewer, MD. The birth of baby Rosalin, the second child he has delivered for parents Catie Armstrong and Aaron Blair, marked Dr. Brewer’s 1,000th delivery at Gibson Area Hospital. Dr. Brewer graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in 1994 and completed his residency at Union Hospital in Terre Haute, Indiana. He arrived on the Gibson Area Hospital campus in 1998 and quickly expanded his care to Forrest, Illinois, with the opening of Prairie Family Medicine & Obstetrics. Eventually, his family practice and maternity care was extended to patients at the Onarga Clinic as well. Dawn Kestner, office manager of Prairie Family Medicine & Obstetrics, has been working with Dr. Brewer since he began practicing medicine locally. “His mom said he always wanted to be a doctor,” she says without hesitation, when asked about Dr. Brewer’s passion for maternity care. “He just loves taking care of people.” Staff members from Prairie Family Medicine & Obstetrics joined the Gibson Area Hospital administration and Baby Central team on the morning of the delivery to congratulate Dr. Brewer on his milestone achievement: caring for 1,000 moms and delivering 1,000 babies in his 19 years of practicing maternity care. For Dr. Brewer, delivering babies is about more than numbers. “It is a source of joy,” he says. “And I was happy to be part of that joy.” DON'T: • • Don’t drink alcohol. There is no known safe amount of alcohol to consume during pregnancy. Talk to your doctor for help with quitting drinking, smoking or any other habit that may harm your baby. • • Don’t take any medicines without your doctor’s OK. That includes herbal or plant- based supplements and over-the-counter drugs. • • Don’t eat unpasteurized soft cheeses. These include unpasteurized feta, Brie, queso blanco, queso fresco and blue cheeses. • • Don’t sit for long periods of time while traveling. Take frequent breaks to stretch your legs. Sources: National Institutes of Health; Office on Women’s Health Special delivery • • Provide education and support before, during and after your birth experience. Here for you Our staff works to encourage mother-baby bonding and ease the transition to parenting a newborn. The doctors and nurses are here to answer your questions and give you the tools you need to feel confident in your new role. Our nurses and lactation consultants can help you establish a good feeding routine before you leave the hospital with your newborn. And our staff is available 24 hours a day to answer questions and provide support. place to welcome your baby D on’t: