Doctor makes extra accommodations for pregnant patients amid coronavirus pandemic

PLANTATION, Fla. – Some South Florida doctors are making house calls to patients in ways many never expected.

When Barbara Volk became pregnant last summer with her second child, it was a time of elation. But as her delivery day drew near, she realized she’d face giving birth in the midst of the world’s largest pandemic in recent history.

“It definitely made me nervous. This was obviously not the original plans,” she said. “As everything started to escalate and precautions started to heighten at the hospital, we just tried to figure out what the best choice for us would be.”

Although the College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends hospital-based births, Volk’s personal ob-gyn understood that in these trying times, many of her patients are nervous about giving birth in a hospital.

“Definitely in the environment that we are in now with this pandemic -- COVID-19 coronavirus -- I feel like I need to make some changes and just change how I practice to accommodate and be available for my patients,” Dr. Delisa Skeete Henry said.

On Easter Sunday, Skeete Henry went to Volk's home in Plantation to assist in the birth of her son, Maverick.

Volk was surrounded by her mother, husband and 18-month-old daughter, Mackenzie.

“Obviously, this is not for everybody, but for us, this was better than we could have expected,” she said.

Skeete Henry is doing this for about a dozen of her patients, all of whom have been carefully pre-screened to make sure they’re not high risk.

“In the hospital setting, we are more prepared for any type of emergencies. We are aware that most non- or low-risk patients will likely have an uncomplicated labor and delivery, but in the hospital setting, we are more prepared for any type of urgent situation,” the doctor said.

In this time of uncertainly, Volk is grateful her doctor understood her concerns.

“I brought it up to her at just a routine appointment like, ‘What do you think?’ and she said, ‘Absolutely,’” Volk said. “It just felt right for us.”


About the Authors:

Veteran journalist Kathleen Corso is the special projects producer for Local 10 News.

Kristi Krueger has built a solid reputation as an award-winning medical reporter and effervescent anchor. She joined Local 10 in August 1993. After many years co-anchoring the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., Kristi now co-anchors the noon newscasts, giving her more time in the evening with her family.