The Newport Plain Talk

Photo by Duay O'Neil Baptist Hospital of Cocke County recently received several pieces of equipment from St. Mary's Jefferson Memorial Hospital's obstetrical unit. Shown with some of the items, from left, are Lori Cabe, RNC; Debra Holt, BHCC Chief Nursing Officer; Dr. Patti Ketterman, BHCC Administrator; Mike Hicks, St. Mary's Jefferson Memorial Hospital Administrator; Melanie James, RNC; and Jack Bryan, Mercy Health Partners CEO of the Commercial Hospital Division.

NEWPORT-Newborn babies at Baptist Hospital of Cocke County will continue to arrive in style following the recent gift of several pieces of obstetrical equipment and furniture to the institution by St. Mary's Jefferson Memorial Hospital.

The Jefferson City hospital closed its obstetrics department on April 1 and officially donated the majority of its equipment to BHCC on Tuesday morning.

Mike Hicks, St. Mary's Jefferson Memorial Hospital Administrator, traveled to Newport to present the items to Dr. Patti Ketterman, BHCC Administrator, and Jack Bryan, Mercy Health Partners CEO of Commercial Hospital Division.

"The equipment is already in place," said Ketterman, "except for monitors. We'll need additional equipment for that."

Items presented to the hospital included storage delivery carts, infant warmers and cribs, beds, and rocking chairs.

"We at Baptist Hospital of Cocke County are thrilled and grateful to our sister hospital in Jefferson City for these items. They will continue to insure our patients of the top-quality care that we are proud to provide," said Ketterman.