On Jan. 1, Dallas Regional Medical Center celebrated Mesquite’s first baby of 2024.
Treasure Holick’s child was delivered in the early hours of the new year by Dr. Allan Chang. This is Chang’s third year delivering the first baby of 2024.
“It was a good experience,” Holick said. “I’m really grateful to all the doctors who helped with the birth of our baby girl.”
According to Dallas Regional Medical Center, the hospital saw an increase in births the last four months of the year because White Rock Medical Center stopped labor and delivery services, making Dallas Regional the only hospital with labor and delivery services for nearly 12 miles. As a result, deliveries at DRMC increased by 20-30% for the latter part of the year. The hospital ended up delivering more than 1,300 babies in 2023.
“Our team and the local physicians have done an amazing job absorbing the additional patients which were displaced when White Rock closed their labor and delivery services,” CEO Glenda Matchett said. “We love delivering babies and are so happy that we could help those patients get care locally rather than have to drive into downtown Dallas to deliver their babies. We really have a fantastic team in place at Dallas Regional.”
The hospital offers free birthing classes for new parents, so they know what to expect, the hospital said. Staff covers what happens from registration to discharge, the labor process, types of delivery, common tools and machines in the delivery room, baby care, breast feeding, and what to expect at home, according to Dallas Regional Medical Center.