The local hospital has been delivering newborns since 2013 after a decade hiatus.
Faith Community Health System (FCHS) is celebrating a new milestone as the local health system reports they have welcomed their 500th newborn into this world since 2013.
Dr. Agarwal, M.D. had the pleasure of delivering our 500th baby! “It has been a pleasure caring for Bowie, Jacksboro, and surrounding communities, Dr. Agarwal states. As a father of 3, it is a special privilege and honor to help mothers bring new life into the world and bring much needed high quality, evidence-based, obstetrical and pediatric care to my communities! I have enjoyed growing our women’s health services here and even entrusted our staff with the birth of my own youngest child here at FCH.”
The birth of newborns in Jacksboro might be routine, but it was not until mid-2013 that the county hospital began delivering newborns. FCHS went almost three decades without childbirths due to the lack of facilities and medical providers who practice obstetrics.
Today, maternity services at FCHS are vital for the region as the hospital in Graham has closed its maternity services department, and the hospital in Bowie has closed altogether. For this reason, services at FCHS continue to make the miracle of life a better experience for families in the area.
“As rural healthcare facilities across Texas, and the nation for that matter, continue to struggle, area residents should be proud that Faith Community Health System continues to thrive,” explains Frank L. Beaman, CEO of FCHS. “We are the only facility in the region that not only can deliver newborns but do so in an integrated fashion.”
The Maternity Center at FCHS features four private suites, and the department supports labor and delivery of babies in a single place. This design eliminates the stress of moving mother and child from one room to another.
Each patient room in the maternity center accommodates beds for both mother and baby, as well as a sleeper chair so that a loved one can stay throughout the experience. Five board-certified family physicians practicing obstetrics in the region include Dr. Shivum Agarwal, Dr. Shawn White, Dr. Erika Crutcher, Dr. Jeremy Johnson, and Dr. Brent Shepherd.
Located just off Main Street (Hwy. 281) next to Jacksboro High School, the FCHS campus opened to much fanfare in 2015, anchored by the $25 million, 80,000-square-foot hospital. Nearly triple the size of the old facility on Magnolia Street, the replacement hospital was designed according to modern building codes and on land with space for future expansion.
“We have ‘Faith’ that local healthcare services will continue to flourish in Jack County and the surrounding regions,” Beaman adds. “As our service area continues to grow and our community makeup continues to evolve, being able to care for residents at every stage of life is essential, and it starts at birth.”
