Letter to Homestyle Program at St. Luke's in San Francisco

Dear Yeshi, Hokmah, Cynthia, Michelle, and Homestyle staff,
 
It has been four weeks since the birth of our daughter Raine Fisher Hedstrom at St. Lukes Hospital under the care of the Homestyle midwives and St. Luke’s nursing staff. We have been adjusting to the new way of life with this wonderful new person and everyday is a new joy and challenge.  We could not be more filled up with love for Raine and for each other.
 
We wanted to take a few moments to express in more detail the heartfelt thanks we have for what you have done for our family’s health and well being.  Please forward this letter to the “powers that be” at CPMC, St. Luke’s new partner, so that they can hear our feedback as well!
 
I would like to express two ideas of appreciation for the service you offer – the first related to the quality of care the Homestyle program has delivered to us, and the second related to the business sense of this program in connecting with your community.
 
As some of you know, Sherry has suffered from chronic back pain for most of her adult life, and when we discovered that there was a potential risk to her back if she needed an epidural during childbirth, we began to ask questions about our best options to avoid this intervention.  Though we were attracted to a natural childbirth experience, we became more committed to it as we read more and more studies suggesting the many benefits of natural, unmedicated childbirth to both the mother and the child. 
 
Over the last 7 months or so, through our research, the childbirth class we took, and discussions with other parents and parents-to-be in the community, we learned more and more about the natural childbirth experience.  Included in the term “natural childbirth” for us was also the idea of a more holistic perspective, that would be inclusive of using techniques like meditation, acupuncture and other complementary therapies, as well as age-old traditional techniques for managing the labor experience.  We were consistently pointed in the direction of the Homestyle Program and found that it was truly in touch with both the newest studies and methods (both new and traditional) to support a natural childbirth.  UCSF had been our initial choice, but about halfway through the pregnancy we made the decision to transfer our care to Homestyle and St. Luke’s.
 
From start to finish I would site the Homestyle program as the single largest contributor, besides Sherry and Raine, to a successful birthing experience.  To have the opportunity to make choices that paralleled our beliefs about healthcare in general and childbirth in particular was a blessing that we are so grateful for.  Raine came out healthy and alert, even crawling up Sherry’s chest towards her breast to begin feeding.  My brother in law (who has three kids of his own) commented on how Raine was the most alert baby he had ever seen.  It was clear that Raine had made the transition into our world as smoothly and safely as possible, and we were able to achieve this in the context of birth as a sacred ceremony rather than a medical event.
 
The level of professionalism and extraordinary techniques from unmedicated pain management strategies, active labor coaching, delivery, suturing and aftercare have been such unusual experiences in a health care system that seems to continuously sacrifice quality of care for increased revenue or decreased costs.  This has always seemed counterintuitive both in terms of providing good care or doing good business.  
 
I am a business man, so I understand that the ideal that healthcare should make its decisions solely based on the level and quality of care is not realistic in many of the decisions our health care businesses must make in order to survive.  That said, as an entrepreneur I also know that any business that wants to have longevity must balance their investment between long term and short term relationships.  By investing in this program, St. Luke’s and now CPMC are making one of the best long-term investments and tapping into a population that might otherwise not connect with their organizations.
 
As we sat in a prenatal class some 4 months before the birth, we found ourselves surrounded by a bunch of likeminded people.  You could label them progressives, but most of them were also entrepreneurs and all were fairly well educated.  Though some of us had seriously considered UCSF as an option for the place of care for the birth of our children, all of us eventually made the switch to Homestyle.  Without fail it was for the reason that we all felt that we would be most supported in achieving the type of birthing experience that we were looking for – giving both the mothers and babies the best chance at optimal health and enjoying the intense yet bonding experience that humans have enjoyed and endured for thousands of years.
 
We all felt that the additional time and energy spent by the Homestyle midwives was a key to a continuity of care and instrumental in our decisions to move from the more clinical and less personalized approach at UCSF.  We received an unusual amount of face to face care and the home visits were instrumental to our successful transition into birth and parenthood.  We were able to take part in a wonderful new community and have passed on information about this program to many other people we know.  As a result of our experience with Homestyle we also switched our choice of pediatrician from a UCSF MD to a St. Luke’s MD.  In a sense, you have won us as a client for St. Luke’s for a longer duration and more services.
 
If one believes in the ability to better ourselves and the services we provide others, then ultimately we must search for mutually advantageous relationships.  From our experience with Homestyle, St. Luke’s provides this sort of service.  In time the population you serve will strengthen our community as you strengthen the community of clients seeking a natural and holistic child birthing experience.
 
There are many clinical studies that support the move towards this sort of child birth experience.  As these studies prompt more and more health care organizations and consumers to look for these sorts of programs, it makes great business sense to maintain such a well respected and well known program to maintain a clear voice in the community.  I hope CPMC continues to nurture your growing program and that they see the treasure that they have in you!  There is nothing like having true evangelists for a change that is supported by both passion and research within your organization.  We look forward to staying connected to your program and helping to ensure its success through advocacy and potential volunteer work.
 
There is so much more to say, but in deference to your busy schedules, I will leave you with two final thoughts.  The first is that we are available for further discussion about our experience if it will support this program or help others to be aware of Homestyle as a choice. Secondly our family will forever be grateful for this moment in time, where our most important life moment to date was made alongside health care professionals who are both passionate and skilled.  
 
Now as I sit with my daughter, I find a new vision for my life.  To notice everyone as someone’s child, to treat everyone as I would want them to treat her.  It is so hard to find this sort of connection in our hurried world, but when we do it is so beautiful and fine that you want to hold it and make it safe and permanent.  Homestyle met us as strangers, but treated us as precious and sacred.  I am certain that with creativity and commitment to these sorts of standards in health care and business, that many more people can welcome their children into the world with the same support we had.  Thank you so much for everything-
 
Good Things,
 
Andrei, Sherry and Raine Hedstrom