Babies and Stars! Health First’s Viera Hospital Opens New Labor and Delivery Unit, Gets 5-Star Hospital Rating

Viera Hospital earned the highly coveted 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid

Health First’s Viera Hospital Opens New Labor and Delivery Unit and Gets a Special Delivery of Its Own: A 5-Star Hospital Rating for the Second Year in a Row.

BREVARD COUNTY • VIERA, FLORIDA – With a celebratory ribbon cutting and fun-filled touring opportunities for soon-to-be moms and the general public, Health First’s Viera Hospital this week celebrated its gleaming new, state-of-the-art Labor and Delivery unit.

But that’s not the only thing Viera Hospital is celebrating this month.

For the second year in a row, Viera’s community hospital, opened in 2011, has earned a highly coveted 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS).

Birth Suites at Viera Hospital

Officially opening August 21, the new unit at Viera Hospital transitions Labor and Delivery care from Cape Canaveral Hospital as Health First has officially begun construction on a new hospital and medical office complex in Merritt Island, approximately four miles east of the existing Cape Canaveral Hospital.

The Birth Suites at Viera Hospital include 14 spacious rooms for all-inclusive labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum care. Patients will remain in the same room throughout their stay, providing a private space for families. The unit also features two operating rooms.

In synchrony with Labor and Delivery services opening at Viera Hospital, Health First Medical Group will open the doors to its new Vidina Obstetrics and Gynecology office located on Vidina Drive immediately south of the Viera Hospital campus. This new location is now accepting new patients.

“The planning and coordination that went into a transition of this scale touched nearly every aspect of Health First, from the design and construction teams to our front-line staff, project management and hospital leadership,” said Dustin Boring, Viera Hospital Administrator.

“We’ve designed this new 14-bed unit to provide an exceptional experience for our expectant mothers and their families during this special moment in their lives.”

One notable benefit of The Birth Suites is patients will receive the entirety of their care in a single room, which includes the labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum phases of their stay.

“This means that from the moment they arrive until their discharge, families will stay in one comfortable, well-appointed Birth Suite, creating a seamless and supportive environment,” said Boring.

“Additionally, the unit is fully equipped with two dedicated operating rooms for cesarean sections and other procedures, as well as a nursery to provide specialized care for newborns as needed. These amenities ensure that we can offer comprehensive and high-quality care in a single, convenient location.”

Allison Gaier was one of more than 100 moms or moms-to be in attendance at the event, and she’s expecting her second child in September.

“We’re super excited to be back at Health First and Viera Hospital two years later, and it’s nice to see familiar faces as well as being in a new environment,” said Gaier.

“We were at Cape Canaveral Hospital with our daughter, and we loved how they do things there. It’s going to be the same style, same work ethics so we’re just excited to see familiar faces in the new rooms – which is awesome.”

According to Health First OB-GYN Vanessa Dance, MD, who has been delivering babies at Cape Canaveral Hospital for 20 years, the transition to Viera Hospital is an emotional moment, but a very exciting time for the north Brevard community.

“It’s an honor to be part of such a dedicated team at Viera Hospital. Over the years, The Birth Suites at Cape Canaveral have served our community with distinction, welcoming countless Brevard County babies into the world. I’ve had the privilege of delivering babies here in Brevard for over 20 years, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to be part of so many families’ special moments,” said Dr. Dance.

“As we transition to these new Birth Suites at Viera Hospital, I’m filled with excitement for this new chapter. The state-of-the-art facilities represent our commitment to providing a supportive and empowering experience for families. The comprehensive care we offer, from labor through postpartum, ensures that every family feels confident and well cared for. It’s a joy to be part of this new phase and to continue delivering exceptional care in such a beautiful and well-equipped environment,” Dr. Dance continued.

Boring says that the new Labor and Delivery unit at Viera fits perfectly in fulfilling a vision Health First and community leaders foresaw over a decade ago when Viera’s growth was in its early stages.

“When Viera Hospital first opened in 2011, we already had a solid vision of what the future growth of this area would be like over the course of the next 15 to 20 years. We’re excited and honored to provide new and expanded services to meet the needs of our growing community,” said Boring.

Consecutive CMS 5-Star Ratings

In a twist of excellent timing, the opening of the hospital’s new Labor and Delivery unit arrives following word that, for the second straight year, Viera Hospital has been awarded the highly-coveted 5-star overall rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Each year, CMS assigns star ratings to U.S. hospitals based on 46 hospital quality measures, which are divided into five quality categories: patient experience, safety of care, mortality, readmission rates, and timely and effective care.

On July 31, CMS released its Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings for 2024, and Health First’s Viera Hospital was one of only 381 U.S. hospitals (and one of only 15 in Florida) to earn the top 5-star rating.

“This accolade is a culmination of all the hard work, dedication, and passion each and every one of our associates brings to the table, day in and day out,” said Boring.

“Everything we do at Health First occurs through a narrow lens of providing outstanding medical care and an outstanding patient experience. As we celebrate the opening of a new Labor and Delivery unit that was specifically designed to create and provide an amazing and memorable experience, the timing of the CMS 5-star rating could not be better.”

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