Maternal Care Through the Years at ProMedica Toledo Hospital

In the 1970s, ProMedica Toledo Hospital made significant changes to advance medical care for pregnant women and infants in the region. The hospital welcomed its first neonatologist, the neonatal intensive care unit debuted its enlarged space, and the State of Ohio designated the hospital as a Level III regional perinatal center. 

In the middle of it all came Ellen Klepacz, who joined the labor and delivery unit in 1976. In her nearly 40 years of providing care for women and infants, she witnessed and was part of impressive advancements in care.

Here is Ellen’s story in her own words:

My Toledo Hospital Story: Ellen Klepacz

I began working in the labor and delivery unit at Toledo Hospital in 1976. I thoroughly enjoyed working there and stayed in the unit for 28 years. During that time the unit had quickly became too small and a new addition was constructed to accommodate for more patients with new labor delivery rooms, an admission nursery, a unit for high-risk moms, four operating rooms and a recovery room. It seemed we almost outgrew it before we settled in.

After we got on our feet, we were doing 3,000 to 3,500 deliveries a year. We had a fantastic staff that made the unit run smoothly. There was always a chance for an emergency, and everyone did their best to keep things under control. It was truly my life’s work and I loved my job!

Throughout my career, I’ve seen so many changes and advancements.

• One of the biggest changes I witnessed was having the labor and delivery rooms where a woman was able to labor, deliver and recover all in the same room.
• I was also able to see the introduction of fetal monitoring which allowed us to keep a minute-by-minute observation of the unborn baby and led to a safer laboring.
• Epidural anesthesia made another huge impact on the birthing experience for women. They were able to give birth more comfortably, and with much less fear of pain.
• Another significant change was the addition of midwives to the department. They gave women more options in how they could experience childbirth and are now widely used.

After the 28 years in labor and delivery, I was offered a position in maternal-fetal medicine. I am proud to say that I was the only LPN to have a position doing fetal non-stress testing. I was honored to work with three excellent specialists: Drs. Arias, Gonzales, and Sunderji. We had an awesome group of sonographers and nurses that cared for many high-risk pregnancies. I stayed there for 10 years until I retired. That was also a wonderful experience where I was able to learn so much. Both jobs were tremendously enjoyed, and I was so blessed to be a part of their beginning!