The first baby of 2010 to be born at Community Memorial Hospital arrived ahead of schedule to the delight of his parents. Edward Starr, Jr. was born 4:52 p.m. New Years Day and weighed eight pounds, seven ounces despite being 17 days early. His parents are Debra Euclide and Edward Starr. The early arrival won him and his parents a cache of prizes for being CMH’s first baby of the New Year.

“It’s exciting just to have him,” remarked Euclide. “He wasn’t due until the 18^th,” said Starr. Edward joins two sisters, eight-year-old Emma Mier and four-year-old Katelynn Starr. In addition to bringing home a beautiful and healthy baby boy, the Crivitz family will enjoy an extra care package from generous community businesses, organizations, and individuals.

“It’s a tradition to celebrate the first baby of the New Year,” said CMH Birthplace nurse Marlene Thompson, who coordinates the annual donations. Gift packages came from the CMH Pharmacy, Jim and Delores Van Dornick, Oconto County Dairy Association, and Witt’s Piggly Wiggly. Gift certificates were donated from Vollmar’s Trailside, Boarding House, Black Bear Golf Course, NEW Credit Union, and Mortell Studio. A beautiful floral arrangement from The Flower Shoppe was delivered to the family at the CMH Birthplace.

It wasn’t the prizes that brought the parents to Community Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls. Friends of the Crivitz couple recommended Community Memorial Hospital.

“We have friends who had their baby here and they really liked it,” said Euclide. “I would recommend the CMH Birthplace,” she continued, “They have good doctors and nurses. They are all caring people. They answer whatever questions you have.”

“Community Memorial Hospital would like to congratulate baby Edward’s family on its new addition and thank all the generous donors for their contributions to the care package for the First Baby of the New Year, Edward Starr, Jr.,” said Jim Van Dornick, CMH CEO.

The CMH Birthplace is a full-service birthing center with four comfortable labor and delivery suites that feature whirlpools and state-of-the-art equipment. The CMH Birthplace also has a nursery and a family room. Services offered at the CMH Birthplace include breast-feeding education with a lactation consultant on staff, free Prenatal Education and Lamaze classes, prenatal screenings (as needed), and a two-day postpartum visit to assess mother and baby and to answer any questions.

“CMH is proud to offer cutting-edge technology to Northeast Wisconsin residents,” said Van Dornick. The birthing center is equipped with the advanced technology of central monitoring, which allows registered nurses to continuously monitor fetal heart rates throughout labor. Additionally, CMH physicians can monitor their patients via a secure internet site from their homes and offices, allowing for the earliest, safest interventions when needed.

The most recent addition to the CMH Birthplace is the EL Pas BabyMatch Infant Security System, a comprehensive system for infant protection in birthing units/maternity wards to monitor infant location and to provide an alert for abduction attempts, mismatch, or swapping incidents. The system provides staff and parents the comfort of knowing that babies are only handled by the right people and that their infant’s whereabouts are always known. 

Community Memorial Hospital is a full-service hospital serving the greater Oconto County with a 24-hour, seven days a week, physician-staffed Emergency Department, obstetrics, intensive care, inpatient and outpatient surgical and diagnostic services, rehabilitation, an oncology outpatient clinic, Urgent Care Center and CMH Birthplace. Additionally, six Community Memorial Hospital Primary Care Clinics are located throughout Oconto County. For more information call (920) 846-3444.

Photo Caption: Community Memorial Hospital welcomes its first baby of 2010. Proud parents Debra Euclide and Edward Starr are pictured with baby Edward Starr, Jr. and CMH Birthplace Dr. Judith Bowers, DO, left, and Susan Paterson, Certified Nurse Midwife.