Welcoming a new chapter of care for mothers and babies in Winter Garden

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. - AdventHealth Winter Garden is celebrating the opening of new labor and delivery services, expanding comprehensive women's healthcare for families in west Orange County and surrounding communities.

The Baby Place at AdventHealth Winter Garden will officially begin welcoming patients Aug. 24.

Each year, more than 6,000 babies are born to families in west Orange and aouth Lake counties, and the majority of those deliveries currently take place outside the area, according to the state Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA).

The addition of labor and delivery at AdventHealth Winter Garden helps bring maternity care into the community where these families live and strengthens AdventHealth's growing network of women's care across Central Florida.

The network includes AdventHealth Orlando, AdventHealth Altamonte Springs, AdventHealth Celebration and AdventHealth Winter Park, which deliver more than 14,000 babies across Central Florida each year.

AdventHealth Lake Nona is also preparing to welcome families later this year, further expanding the network's ability to support mothers and babies across the region.

"Welcoming a baby is one of life's most meaningful moments, and families deserve to feel supported, confident and cared for throughout the experience," said Aimee Keller-Pickford, CEO of AdventHealth Winter Garden. "Bringing labor and delivery to our Winter Garden campus means families can receive compassionate, coordinated care with experienced teams by their side while staying connected to the people and support systems that matter most."

The new labor and delivery services include nine labor, delivery and recovery rooms, 10 postpartum beds and two dedicated C-section operating rooms.

Future space is also planned for a Level II neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), helping AdventHealth Winter Garden prepare to meet the needs of mothers and newborns as the community continues to grow.

"This is about much more than adding a service," said Dr. Lucinda Kjerulff, medical director and OB-GYN hospitalist with AdventHealth Medical Group. "It's about being there for families at a moment that can bring incredible joy but also uncertainty and questions. Having experienced physicians and care teams available around the clock will provide reassurance, continuity and confidence throughout the birth experience."

The addition of labor and delivery is part of an expansion at AdventHealth Winter Garden that also includes 40 progressive care beds for patients requiring a higher level of medical attention and additional operating room capacity to meet the community's growing surgical needs.

Together, these investments will help AdventHealth Winter Garden care for more patients and families as the west Orange County community continues to grow.

Click here to learn more about The Baby Place at AdventHealth Winter Garden and its services.