May 8, 2026 - This Mother's Day marks a shift in Bay Area maternity care as El Camino Health unveils a "Family First" expansion designed to eliminate the standard "waiting room anxiety" of childbirth for all new moms and their partners, combined with high-tech clinical care and a specialized environment to reduce parental trauma and support infant development for high-risk or fragile deliveries.
"The big changes we have seen over the past two decades are really focusing on the families—the mothers, the partners, and the extended family," said Dr. Dharshi Sivakumar, MD, neonatologist at El Camino Health and clinical professor of neonatology and pediatrics. "When the family participates in the care and does hands-on care for the babies, they actually heal. It's very therapeutic, and this has been well studied and published."
Dr. Sivakumar was on the design committee for the new hospital, which considered extensive research in the field, input from other hospital construction projects, and the experiences of moms, physicians, nurses and others from across the hospital system to design the healthiest experience for families.
The new facility represents a direct response to parents experiencing some symptoms of post-traumatic stress. By prioritizing private spaces and reducing environmental stressors like light and noise, the goal is to improve infant neurodevelopment and provide a therapeutic environment for families.
Innovative Features for Modern Maternity Care
The expansion introduces several unique features designed to streamline the birthing process and focus on a "Family Partner" model, where partners and extended family are active participants in the care process.
- Dedicated OB Emergency Room: Eliminates the need for laboring mothers to be transported through a general ER, allowing for immediate assessment and quick transfer to a delivery room that meets their needs.
- Research-Based Design: Antepartum rooms are noise and light controlled to protect the mental health of mothers in early or preterm labor. Reduced light and noise supports neurofetal development.
- Private NICU Family Suites: The private NICU suites allow parents to stay with their infants 24/7. This model is clinically proven to reduce parental PTSD, improve infant brain growth and foster the confidence parents need to take their baby home.
- Collaborative Design: The hospital was designed over three years with input from nurses, therapists, and a "family partnership council" composed of veteran families to ensure the space met both clinical and emotional needs.
"A lot of the medical students and residents decide to deliver at El Camino Health even though they don't live in the close proximity because they see the care we give and they have come. So I will say it has proven what we are doing is working very well," says Dr. Sivakumar.
About El Camino Health
El Camino Health has served the communities of Silicon Valley and the South Bay for more than 60 years, with nationally recognized physicians and nurses at two independent not-for-profit acute care hospitals in Los Gatos and Mountain View, and 28 care locations across the region, which includes primary care, multi-specialty care, and urgent care. El Camino Health is dedicated to giving patients high-quality care utilizing the most advanced technology and research. As your healthcare partner of choice, we focus on keeping you healthy and getting you back on your feet when you need it, so you can live your best life.
Key Services Include:
- Cancer care
- Cardiovascular care
- Maternity care
- Mental health and addiction services
- Orthopedics
- Pulmonology
- Urology
- Women's health
Women's Health Awards & Achievements:
- Named one of the World's Best Hospitals 2026 by Newsweek
- Best Hospitals for Maternity Care by U.S. News & World Report
- San Francisco Bay Area's first Magnet hospital for nursing excellence
- Among fewer than 2% of hospitals nationwide to receive Five Magnet Designations
To learn more, visit elcaminohealth.org.
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