Women's Wellness and Maternity Center (WWMC) announce their celebration of 25 years in Monroe County with an open house Dec. 11. WWMC invites mothers, children born at WWMC, and other supporters to call to update contact information for the anniversary event and to save the date for Dec. 11.

As WWMC celebrates 25 years of providing maternity and women's health care to mothers, babies and families of Monroe and surrounding counties, it is important to take a moment to look back at some of the accomplishments of those years and to look ahead at new innovations at WWMC.

This historical first freestanding birth center in Tennessee has had many milestones during its 25-year history. WWMC has won several national awards during its tenure including the Ford Foundation Innovations Award in 1991, the National Healthy Babies Award for helping to reduce infant mortality in Monroe County, and the Good Housekeeping/Wyeth Foundation Award for Women's Health Provider in 2004.

WWMC continues to be an innovative women's care provider in this community, adding new services that have been shown to improve the health of both mothers and babies. A new renovation and addition to the facility opened last year to enhance the comfortable women-centered atmosphere. The addition adds a garden birth suite with birth room and tub room for comfort during labor.

Centering Pregnancy group prenatal care has been added to the range of services offered at the center with a renovated meeting room. "Group care has been shown to reduce numbers of low birth weight and preterm babies by educating and empowering families about healthy pregnancy. All mothers benefit from the support of group care," said Jill Alliman, center director.  An evening well child clinic continues to offer families convenient after hours well child care. Women of all socioeconomic and educational backgrounds from our local communities and from more than an hour away come to the center to enjoy family-centered high quality care.

During this time, WWMC has admitted 3,263 women in labor at either Women's Wellness Center or Sweetwater Hospital.  So far, 2,485 babies have been born at the center; and 449 babies were delivered by the certified nurse midwives (CNMs) at Sweetwater Hospital since 1997, when CNMs were first granted delivery privileges at the hospital. Another 370 were delivered by physicians at SHA after referral.

Dr. Levin, medical director and founder of WWMC said, "WWMC plans to be around for the next 25 years, to continue providing excellent care to Monroe and East Tennessee women and families."
If you or your child were born at WWMC, please send a baby photo and current photo with name and birth year information to WWMC, PO Box 115, Madisonville, TN 37354 to display on "Then and Now" photo boards. Prizes will be awarded for the oldest and youngest babies present on Dec. 11.