Life Begins at Mason Health

Composite of individual photos of Mason General Hospital Birth Center staff and Dr. Carey Martens and Dr. Andrea Martin

Parents choose MGH Birth Center for personal, loving care Page 2

Meet Our Providers Page 4

Birth Center offers low rates of C-section Page 4

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More parents choose MGH Birth Center for personal, loving care

On Oct. 14, 2020, Michael Bray and Jamie Ellertsen welcomed the newest addition to their blended Shelton family – a baby boy named Carter.

Capital Medical Center in Olympia and her third child, a daughter, was born at Mason General Hospital. Carter is her second child born at the MGH Birth Center.

When Dr. Martens joined Mason Health, she followed him as a patient, choosing to deliver her next two children, including Maverick, at Mason General Hospital.

“There is nothing like Mason General Hospital,” she said. “The MGH Birth Center has a way of making people feel human. All the nurses are down-to-earth. The doctors are professional, but make you feel comfortable enough to ask questions. They joke with you, but they never make fun of you.”

“Dr. Martens is worth the drive,” she said. “He’s very thorough and straightforward, but not pushy about anything. I trust him. After my first experience at Mason General Hospital, it was a no-brainer to come back.”

Other families agree – over the past several years, more parents are choosing Mason General Hospital to deliver.

Record-Breaking Year Michael Bray and Jamie Ellertsen welcomed their son Carter Bray, on Oct. 14, 2020. Courtesy Photo.

They could not have been happier with their decision to deliver at Mason General Hospital’s Birth Center.

“It was the most positive experience I’ve ever had,” said Bray, whose children from a previous marriage were born at another hospital system and at home. “From the obstetricians, Dr. Andrea Martin and Dr. Carey Martens, to the RNs, to the anesthesiologist, down to the people cleaning the rooms – everyone was so positive. Everyone was on the same page.”

Mason General Hospital’s Birth Center continues to attract families from all around Western Washington, as new parents gravitate toward the Birth Center’s personal, “concierge-level” care and support during labor, delivery and post-partum.

In 2020, the Birth Center broke its previous record of 339 births with 344 babies delivered in one year.

“At other hospitals, you have people in and out,” she said. “It’s nice to have consistency and see the same faces.”

The first baby to cross the threshold was Maverick Willis, born at 3:54 p.m. on Dec. 28. He was the 340th baby born in 2020, and his parents traveled 55 minutes from Montesano, Washington, to deliver at the Birth Center.

That one-on-one care during labor, delivery and after birth is the main reason many parents choose Mason General Hospital, said Birth Center Manager Kris Gaa, RN. “It’s really amazing for people to have the same nurse labor with them and also get to care for them post-partum,” Gaa said. “It’s all-in-one here. We have more time and opportunity to bond with our patients here than at other hospitals.”

Maverick Willis was born at 3:54 p.m. on Dec. 28. He was the 340th baby born in 2020.

Courtesy Photo.

Mom Annmarie Willis delivered her first child at Grays Harbor Community Hospital as a patient of Dr. Martens when he had a private practice in Aberdeen.

Moms-to-be receive one-on-one care, and the Birth Center staff work hard to provide a calming atmosphere of family-supported birth, with options for pain control, whether medicated or not.

Ellertsen’s first two children were born at

Five of the Birth Center nurses, including Gaa, are International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) who can support women in their breastfeeding journeys after delivery.

These certified lactation specialists can help answer any questions and address any concerns about breastfeeding when the mothers are in the hospital and when they return back home.

Parents can call the Birth Center with questions and schedule outpatient lactation consultations.

“They go above and beyond to let you know you have support when you go home, not only with breastfeeding, but everything,” Willis said.

Between the two of them, Bray and Ellertsen have six children from previous marriages, and consequently have had six different birth experiences prior to Carter’s arrival.

Bray’s eldest daughter was born at Providence St. Peter in Olympia, and his two other daughters were home births.

For Maverick’s birth, Willis had her first scheduled induction because her previous labors were very quick. She was nervous about it, but nurses made her feel at ease.

She was able to give birth without pain medication, as she preferred, and she had the same nurse all day.

Annmarie and Geoff Willis pose with new baby Maverick on Dec. 29, 2020, in front of Mason Health’s new photo backdrop at the Birth Center. The Willis’ traveled from Montesano, Washington, to deliver at the Birth Center at MGH. Photo by Jaime McClanahan, RN.

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The nurses and providers at MGH “see you as more than a patient,” concurred Ellertsen.

“My first child I had at 17, and I was treated as if I didn’t know anything because I was so young,” Ellertsen recalled.

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Personalized, loving care

delivering mothers and their guests (“That bistro downstairs is like a hidden gem,” Ellertsen said).

Ellertsen chose Mason General Hospital for her third child because at the time she was working for Mason Health’s housekeeping department, Environmental Services.

Later, she was a recipient of Mason General Hospital Foundation’s Auxiliary Scholarship for employees who want to pursue schooling in medicine. She is now a drug and alcohol counselor at Washington Corrections Center, where she met Bray, who also works there.

“I have seen the nurses at MGH treat every mom and baby the same,” she said. “A lot of other hospitals don’t look at who you are. At MGH, it’s more like a family.”

The Foundation recently supported the Birth Center and its fundraising goal for 2020, raising more than $37,000 for necessary items such as storage units and a fetal heartbeat telemetry unit.

This fundraising was made possible through the inaugural Bikers for Babies motorcycle ride in September, sponsorships from the cancelled Golf Tournament, a donation from the MGHF Auxiliary, an allocation from the Foundation’s Endowment Fund and many other donors who came forward.

The Birth Center at Mason General Hospital is seamlessly integrated with MGH Mountain View Women’s Health Clinic, where Dr. Martens and Dr. Martin practice, and with Mason Clinic Pediatrics.

All of the providers that Bray and Ellertsen interacted with at the Birth Center were exceptional, they said.

“Dr. Rose Ann Rayos in Pediatrics is in a league of her own,” Bray said. “I’d seen her for years for my daughters, but the night

Support the MGH Birth Center through Mason General Hospital Foundation’s

BIKERS FOR BABIES motorcycle ride fundraiser!

They stayed an extra night simply because the MGH team was so helpful, and they received a personalized card with signatures from everyone on staff. Carter, like all babies born at the Birth Center, also received a homemade blanket, donated by local volunteers.

Dr. Rose Ann Rayos, MD, checks baby Carter after his delivery in October. Dr. Rayos practices at Mason Clinic Pediatrics and is on call for newborn checks at the MGH Birth Center. Courtesy Photo.

“Before Mason General Hospital, I had never experienced anything positive with a birth at a hospital,” Bray said. “I didn’t agree to go to MGH at first, but I trusted Jamie’s experience and I am so glad I did. It’s been the best experience.”

my son was born, she was a super human. I have never seen that level of dedication from anyone. You can’t put that on a scale and measure it.”

Check out our pregnancy and breastfeeding resources!

Dr. Martens treated Ellertsen with respect, even when they disagreed, she said.

“I had membrane sweeps with my previous children, and I assumed that was a routine option,” Ellertsen recalled of an appointment with Dr. Martens. “Dr. Martens brought me into the conversation and didn’t talk around me, like they do at other places. He told me he didn’t like doing that procedure unless it was an emergency. I appreciated his honesty and professionalism.”

At Mason Health, we want you to have the healthiest and happiest pregnancy, labor and delivery and postpartum experience possible.

The Birth Center page on the Mason Health website is full of helpful resources to help you plan these experiences, including useful information on breastfeeding.

A membrane sweep is a drug-free way of inducing labor, when an obstetrician manually separates the sac surrounding your baby from the cervix to trigger labor.

Online resources available for download include a prenatal guide and Welcome to the Birth Center packet, a birth planning document and links to help navigate pregnancy during a pandemic.

During delivery, Carter had a decreased heartrate for part of the time, but Ellertsen trusted Dr. Andrea Martin’s confidence and experience to deliver her baby.

We also have resources in Spanish and a breastfeeding video in the Mam language for our Guatemalan patients.

Carter was born at around 7 p.m., and the couple enjoyed a complimentary steak dinner from the MGH Bistro, available to all

Visit us at https://www.masongeneral.com/ services/birth-center.

COVID-19 Restrictions at the Birth Center D

ue to the spread of COVID-19, the Birth Center only allows 1 visitor per Birth Center patient at this time. Mason Health regrets that we cannot allow additional visitors and labor support people at this time.

Visitor policy does not change regardless of vaccination status.

SAVE THE DATE FOR SEPT. 18, 2021!

Look for details at www.masongeneral.com.

To protect our patients, including moms and newborns, there is an alternate entrance and parking site for the Birth Center. Ring the doorbell or call 360-4279558 for access.

The Birth Center can be reached at 360-427-9558 for any questions about COVID-19 restrictions.

Parking for Birth Center Check-In 1 2 3 4

Emergency Entrance Main Entrance Mason Clinic Birth Center Check-In

Update as of 4/6/2020

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life begins at mason health Meet Our Birth Center Providers!

Mason Health’s providers at MGH

Mountain View Women’s Health Clinic provide seamless service to patients receiving care at the clinic and at the Birth Center at Mason General Hospital.

Dr. Carey Martens, DO, joined the medical staff at Mountain View Women’s Health and Mason General Hospital in 2018.

He earned his medical degree at the Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Vallejo, California, in 2003, and completed a residency at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Medical Center in Pontiac, Michigan, in 2007.

Dr. Carey Martens, DO

Prior to coming to Mason Health, he had a private practice in Aberdeen, Washington, that focused on bringing state-of-the-art, minimally invasive gynecologic procedures and evidence-based obstetrics and gynecology to a rural area.

Dr. Martens is passionate about staying ahead of the curve in medical trends and providing compassionate, close-to-home care that allows patients to stay local for the best care possible.

He maintains close relationships with the University of Washington and the Franciscan Health system to better serve his patients. He has a special interest in offering minimally invasive gynecologic procedures to treat incontinence, heavy cycles and pelvic pain.

He also enjoys teaching medical students, residents and nurse midwives.

Dr. Andrea Martin, MD, joined the medical staff at Mountain View Women’s Health and Mason General Hospital in 2016.

She was raised in Michigan and earned her medical degree at the American University Dr. Andrea Martin, MD

of the Caribbean School of Medicine on St. Maarten Island, in 2012. She completed her internship and residency at West Virginia University Medicine in 2016.

Dr. Martin is pleased to care for women of all ages and encourages her patients to pursue a high quality of life.

She provides education to her patients and enjoys discussing adolescent reproductive health, family planning, achieving a happy and healthy pregnancy, and pelvic floor support.

Her special interests also include preventive care, contraception management and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.

To book an appointment with Dr. Martens or Dr. Martin, call MGH Mountain View Women’s Health at 360-426-0955.

Coming Soon – Dr. Danielle Blood!

Dr. Danielle Blood, MD, will join the Women’s Health service line at Mason Health, starting July 12.

Raised in Vancouver, Washington, Dr. Blood obtained Dr. Danielle Blood, MD her medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada in 2017.

In June, she will complete her residency at the University of Buffalo’s Sisters of Charity Hospital in Buffalo, New York.

Prior to returning to school for her medical degree, Dr. Blood worked as a registered nurse in Oregon. She is interested in family planning, managing opioid dependence in pregnancy and helping patients improve their quality of life while managing pelvic organ prolapse and pelvic floor disorders.

She is happy to return home to the Pacific Northwest to work at Mason Health. Off hours, she loves to spend time with her husband and four children backpacking, camping, running, reading, watching movies and traveling.

Learn more about Dr. Blood in the summer issue of SCOPE!

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Low rates of C-section indicate high-quality, safe care More mothers are choosing to give

birth at Mason General Hospital, in the care of providers Dr. Andrea Martin, MD, and Dr. Carey Martens, DO, because they know they will receive compassionate and individualized care.

Over the past few years, rates of Cesarean section surgeries at the Birth Center has continued to drop, as recommended by national standards. This is a positive indicator of the quality of care that patients receive at Mason Health.

In 2020, Mason Health’s rate of firsttime C-sections was 12 percent. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that hospitals nationwide reduce C-section rates to 24.7 percent overall because surgery can raise health risks for the mother.

“We are ahead of the curve. What this has shown us is, it’s not always better to go to a bigger hospital,” said Dr. Martens.

“Sometimes the level of care at a smaller hospital is exactly what a patient wants.”

C-section births are often medically necessary to save the life of an infant and/or mother. The procedure is major surgery and raises the risk of complications, including infection.

Patients face longer recovery times, higher costs and an increased chance of needing a C-section in a later pregnancy.

Risks rise with each C-section.

Still, mothers should not feel guilty or ashamed if they do need a C-section, said Dr. Martin.

“Cesareans save lives,” she said. “They are one of the most valuable tools we have.

We talk about all options with patients and do not force their hands. Because we care, we are having optimal outcomes.”

Special Insert Cover: From left, Dulce Casal, RN, Tammy Page, RN, Betty Pharris, RN, Dr. Carey Martens, DO, Dr. Andrea Martin, MD, Tina Dlouhy, RN, Blanca Rivas Perez, RN, and Birth Center Manager Kris Gaa, RN. Composite Photo by Cooper Studios. All individuals were photographed separately and with COVID-19 precautions.