*It's a girl!

Rouge Valley Health System's all-new Birthing and Newborn Centre welcomes its first baby, 6lb. 3oz. Pranavi Sivakanthan. Here she rests in the arms of her mother Rajeeni Sivakathan, along with father Sivakathan Kandiah and Rouge Valley Centenary nurse Kanthi Kamalachandran.

News Release
Dec. 11, 2008

After 22 hours of labour, the birth of their first child, a 6lb. 3oz. baby girl, is a wonderful moment for mother Rajeeni Sivakanthan and father Sivakanthan Kandiah. The Dec. 11 arrival of little Pranavi Sivakanthan is also an historic one for the Rouge Valley Health System (RVHS). She is the first baby to be born at the new Birthing and Newborn Centre, at the Rouge Valley Centenary hospital campus in east Toronto.

“We both feel very happy. Our doctor and nurses were excellent, and we had great service,” said Mr. Kandiah, through the translation of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse Kanthi Kamalachandran. Their daughter was delivered by obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Sivasamboo Kalaichandran.

The Scarborough couple recently emigrated from Sri Lanka, so the birth of their first child born in Canada is particularly special.
“It’s wonderful to see that after many years of fundraising, planning and building, this Birthing and Newborn Centre is finally a reality with the first baby arriving today. The impact it will have on our community is significant, as this state-of-the-art facility will now offer the best modern birthing experience in the Greater Toronto Area,” says Rik Ganderton, RVHS president and chief executive officer.

This new centre, located at the corner of Neilson and Ellesmere Roads, reflects the very best practices in maternal and newborn services. Its modern and comfortable birthing rooms have been designed to accommodate family and friends. The Birthing and Newborn Centre also features highly-advanced equipment and skilled staff, who can look after more complicated deliveries and high-risk pregnancies.
 
Dr. Terry Logaridis, program chief of obstetrics and gynecology, says, “Staff and physicians are delighted to mark the first of thousands of babies to be born in our wonderful facility at Rouge Valley Centenary. It was a delight to welcome this new person into the world in our new facility.”

Dr. Karen Chang, interim site leader of paediatrics, says, “Our physicians and staff now have this modern facility in which to work at their full capacity. Not only is it state-of-the-art, but it’s a much more welcoming place that will enhance the birthing experience. Our new NICU will also expand our ability to care for even more premature and sick infants.”

In honour of this historic first, Centennial College has announced that when little Pranavi comes of age, she will be eligible to attend a program of study at the college, tuition-free. “Rouge Valley has given this little one the best start in life, and in keeping with our vision of transforming lives and communities through learning, we want to be sure that she has a brilliant future as a lifelong learner.” says Ann Buller, president of Centennial College. "We're excited to be part of this fabulous health-care resource serving the Scarborough community as we do."

Among the features at the Birthing and Newborn Centre are:

• 16 Labour, Delivery, Recovery and Postpartum (LDRP) rooms that each look like a well-furnished bedroom. High-tech medical equipment such as monitors and baby warmers are concealed in the cupboards and other furniture. In the private washroom a whirlpool tub is available as an alternative form of pain management. The chair converts to allow the father/support person to stay comfortably in the room overnight; 
• 21 additional post-partum beds. These beds are located in postpartum rooms that are comfortable, homelike spaces where mothers and babies are cared for together by the health care team;
• A new Advanced Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, that is adjacent to modern, state-of-the-art operating birthing rooms. This larger and more inviting space will allow parents the luxury of spending more time with their newborn as they recover;
• Four private-care-by-parent rooms for parents to look after their babies just prior to discharge when they have been admitted for prolonged periods; and
• Two overnight hostel rooms for mothers and families who have been discharged before their babies are ready to go home.
  To read more about Rouge Valley’s new Birthing and Newborn Centre, visit http://www.rougevalley.ca/growth/birthing .

Rouge Valley Health System (RVHS) — The best at what we do
RVHS is an excellent acute care community hospital with many programs, including 24/7/365 emergency, cardiac care and mental health. Rouge Valley consists of several health sites, including two community hospital campuses: Rouge Valley Centenary in east Toronto; and Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering in west Durham. Together, a team of physicians (224 general practitioners and 325 specialists), 1,000 nurses and many other professionals care for a broad spectrum of health conditions. Working in consultation and partnership with community members, other hospitals, health care organizations, the Central East Local Health Integration Network and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Rouge Valley continues to improve its programs and cater to the needs of the growing communities of east Toronto, Ajax, Pickering and Whitby.

Contact
David Brazeau
Director
Public Affairs and Community Relations
Rouge Valley Health System
647-294-8885
dbrazeau@rougevalley.ca