At a time when birthrates continue to fall across much of the United States, Intermountain Health St. Mary’s Regional Hospital is seeing a significant increase in deliveries.

Intermountain St. Mary’s is experiencing a 15% increase in births compared with the previous year, while new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that national birth rates remain in decline.  

The growth is being driven by families from across the greater Grand Junction area who are choosing to deliver at Intermountain St. Mary’s Regional Hospital.  

"The national data highlights just how notable this increase is for our region,” said Holly Smith, nurse clinical leader at Intermountain St. Mary’s Regional Hospital. “We’re seeing strong demand from families right here in our community.” 

One of those families is Nevaeh LeBlanc, a 21-year-old first-time mother whose son, Klyde, was born 10 weeks early on April 19. 

Following his premature birth, Klyde was admitted to the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where he received specialized care for severe jaundice. 

“Coming into the NICU for the first time ever in my life was overwhelming,” LeBlanc said. “But they were the sweetest people. They’ve honestly been like friends to me through all of it.” 

After spending his first days under phototherapy, Klyde has continued to make steady progress and is now gaining weight and growing stronger. 

“He’s doing really, really good,” LeBlanc said. “He seems like he’s thriving right now.” 

Intermountain St. Mary’s Regional Hospital provides childbirth services that support a wide range of medical needs and birth plans, from uncomplicated pregnancies to high-risk care, ensuring families receive individualized support every step of the way. 

“Our goal is to empower patients with choice and ensure they feel supported throughout their birth experience,” Smith said. “Whether that means a low intervention or unmedicated labor, different pain‑management options, a planned Cesarean section, or specialized care for complications, we’re equipped to meet each mother’s individual needs.” 

Care is delivered by a coordinated team of certified nurse‑midwives, OB‑GYNs, nurses, and specialty staff who support mothers, babies, and families throughout pregnancy, labor, delivery, and recovery. 

Labor and delivery rooms are designed to promote comfort, mobility, and bonding, while maintaining immediate access to advanced medical technology and clinical support. 

“Providing these options within a hospital setting gives families flexibility while knowing advanced care is immediately available if needed,” Smith said. 

That advanced care includes the only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Western Colorado, offering specialized treatment for premature infants and newborns with complex medical conditions. 

The NICU is staffed by neonatologists, specially trained nurses, and pediatric subspecialists, and is equipped to support babies who may require assistance with breathing, feeding, or other medical interventions. 

For LeBlanc, that combination of clinical expertise and emotional support made all the difference during an unexpected and stressful start to motherhood. 

“They’ve been really helpful, especially with me being a new mom,” she said. “They answered all my questions, helped me find resources and support groups, and were there every step of the way.” 

As national birthrates continue to decline, Smith says the local increase reflects continued trust in maternity care at Intermountain St. Mary’s Regional Hospital. 

“We are proud to support families during one of the most important moments of their lives,” Smith said. 

For more information on Intermountain Health St. Mary’s Hospital maternity care, visit here. 

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For more than three decades, a collaboration between Intermountain Health St. Mary’s Regional Hospital and Hilltop Community Resources has helped thousands of families in Mesa County get the support they need for a healthy pregnancy and start to parenthood. 

The B4 Babies program began four decades ago to help pregnant women access prenatal care, education, and resources during a critical time for both mother and baby. 

“The collaboration with B4 Babies and St. Mary’s began in 1989,” said Victoria Grasmick, who works in Community Health at Intermountain St. Mary’s Regional Hospital. “It gets families off to the right start from the get-go, which then gives them a higher likelihood of success throughout life.” 

When the program was created, Mesa County was seeing an increase in the lack of access to health insurance and as a result expectant mothers were not getting prenatal care.  

“We had a lot of women that were coming to the emergency department in pre-term labor, mostly because they didn’t have access to the resources they needed,” said Bryan Johnson, market president for Intermountain Health in Western Colorado. 

“There was a lack of access to doctors delivering babies, especially for individuals on Medicaid, and many didn’t have transportation to get to doctor’s appointments. As a result, they had zero prenatal care, no doctor, no information, and no education,” said Mike Stahl, CEO of Hilltop Community Resources. 

This was 30 years before the Affordable Care Act, and the Mesa County Prenatal Task Force was finding the major barrier for these women was access to health insurance. 

“The lack of access to Medicaid was a significant issue,” Stahl explained. “So, when B4 Babies started, it was really set up as a presumptive eligibility site where any pregnant mom could then be deemed on Medicaid.” 

The data was tracked, and the results were quickly seen in the area’s community health data. 

“Two years after B4 Babies began, the data was showing our low-birth-weight rates significantly decreased, to the point where a lot of the professionals were like, ‘what's going on here?’ And the only thing they could attribute it to was the advent of B4 Babies,” Stahl said. 

Over the years, the program has expanded beyond simply helping mothers obtain medical coverage. Today it provides a wide range of services designed to support families throughout pregnancy and early childhood. 

“We provide an array of services for prenatal and postnatal families, including accessing affordable health care, transportation to and from appointments, interpretation services, we provide diapers, and car seat checks so that their little one is safe during transportation,” said Karen Clymer, Early Childhood Program manager at Hilltop Community Resources. 

The program now serves roughly 250 to 300 individuals each year, which adds up to about 500 to 900 appointments every month helping families access healthcare, education, and community support. And still, 37 years later, the collaboration between St. Mary’s and Hilltop plays a critical role in sustaining those services. 

“St. Mary’s has always been a great stakeholder,” Stahl said. “They’ve been an annual supporter of our financial model for years.” 

According to leaders with St. Mary’s and Hilltop, the collaboration goes well beyond financial support.  

“It’s what we call clinical integration. It’s sharing information, looking for resources, and helping people get in to see doctors when they need to,” Johnson explained. 

And the vital collaboration also helps with response to emerging healthcare needs in the region.  

“St. Mary’s is really great about identifying different needs in our community, and our community includes the entire Western Slope,” Clymer said. “Recently, when the labor and delivery unit in Delta shut down, St. Mary’s collaborated with us to provide B4 Babies services in Delta County as well as Montrose County.” 

For families, the impact can be life changing. Noemi, a B4 Babies client, first connected with the program when she found out she was pregnant as a teenager. 

“When I saw a positive pregnancy test, I instantly went into shock,” she said. “I didn’t know anything.” 

After reaching out to B4 Babies, she began receiving guidance and support. 

 “They helped me with getting health insurance and getting back on my feet,” she said.  

Through regular meetings with a family navigator, she built a trusted relationship that eventually helped her navigate two pregnancies and parent her two sons.  

“Just meeting every month with my navigator is so helpful. She feels like family to us,” Noemi said. “My kids have a great connection with her, and I have a great connection with her.” 

Community leaders say stories like that from Noemi illustrate the program’s long-term impact. 

“When we think of Intermountain’s mission, what we’re trying to do is help our community live their healthiest life possible,” Johnson said. 

Clymer added, “I get to see the families that we serve out in our community every day. They’re happy, they’re healthy, and it really is making a difference in their lives.” 

B4 Babies is one of several community programs Intermountain St. Mary’s Hospital supports through its annual community benefit work. In 2024, St. Mary’s invested $86.8 million to strengthen the health of Western Colorado, directing these dollars through a thoughtful, data‑driven Community Health Needs Assessment process that ensures resources go where they can make the biggest difference for families. 

This commitment reflects the organization’s mission to help people live the healthiest lives possible and the promise to stand with the local communities, especially those who need support most.

Learn more about St. Mary’s community benefit work here. 

Four certified nurse midwives have joined Intermountain Health in Colorado to enhance obstetrics and gynecology care in the Boulder County with their personalized approach to care and commitment to helping women with low-intervention, natural childbirth. 

Virginial Nagel, CNM, Meagann Little, CNM, Jacy Jeffrey-Howe, CNM, and Valorie Hauck-Sorensen, CNM, together bring more than 40 years of experience and a personalized approach in helping patients navigate the different stages of their health journeys. 

The four see patients at Lafayette Women’s Clinic-OB-GYN, 300 Exempla Circle, Suite 470, Lafayette; and Superior Clinic-OB-GYN, 3 Superior Drive, Suite 400, Superior. They will deliver babies at Intermountain Health Good Samaritan Hospital. 

Nagel said the openness, tools, and support from Good Samaritan caregivers toward low-intervention birth influenced her decision to move her practice to Intermountain Health.  

“Each room at Good Samaritan has birthing tubs where moms can labor,” she said. “They also have birthing balls, peanut balls and support bars for when mom gets tired during labor.” 

She added that if a laboring mother chooses to have medication for pain relief, the hospital has anesthesiology in house 24/7. 

“How well trained the staff members are to support natural birth surprised me,” Nagel said.  

If specialized care is needed for the baby after the delivery, Good Samaritan offers a neonatal intensive care unit, and the parents would be nearby. 

Virginia Nagel, CNM, came to Intermountain Health from another local health system and is dedicated to empowering women through education and compassionate care at every stage of life. Focused on providing comprehensive OB/GYN care, she takes a holistic approach to women’s health, supporting her patients through all phases of life—from adolescence and family planning to pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause. 

Outside of her practice, Virginia is an empty nester who enjoys everything about the outdoors, including hiking, camping, and reading a good book on the beach. 

Meagann Little, CNM, joined Intermountain Health in April with more than 10 years of experience providing midwifery care in Boulder County. She supports women through all stages of their lives, from adolescence to menopause and beyond. 

Her clinical interests include hormone replacement therapy (HRT), where she works closely with patients to manage hormonal imbalances and symptoms related to menopause, providing personalized care to optimize health and quality of life. Additionally, Little is passionate about normal physiologic birth, advocating for women to experience childbirth in the most natural and empowering way possible while offering education, support, and guidance throughout the pregnancy and delivery process. 

Outside of her practice, Meagann enjoys spending time with her husband, son, and daughter, skiing, and cruising for vacation. 

Valorie Hauck-Sorensen, CNM, joined Intermountain Health on May 5. She is a certified nurse-midwife committed to providing comprehensive, personalized care for women throughout every stage of life. She offers the full scope of midwifery services, including prenatal care, labor and birth support, postpartum care, well-woman exams, family planning, and menopause management. 

When she's not in the clinic or attending a birth, Hauck-Sorensen enjoys going to the mountains, traveling, belly dancing, and scrapbooking. 

Jacy Jeffrey-Howe, CNM, also joined Intermountain Health on May 5. She is a certified nurse-midwife who provides compassionate, evidence-based care to women and families of all ages and stages.  She is passionate about partnering with patients to understand their bodies better and feel empowered in making decisions for themselves and their families.  

Jeffrey-Howe supports patients through pregnancy, birth, and beyond, and offers a full range of midwifery services including prenatal care, labor and delivery support, postpartum care, contraception counseling, and annual wellness exams.  

As Mother's Day approaches, Annamiek Frost reflects on her journey to motherhood with immense gratitude for the exceptional care she received from the Maternal Fetal Medicine specialists at Intermountain Health.  

Frost, now a mother of two healthy boys, Norris, 2, and Royle, 8 months, shares her appreciation for the dedicated team that supported her through two high-risk pregnancies. 

Frost was uncertain if she would ever be able to have her own children due to several serious health conditions. 

Diagnosed with lupus and liver disease as a young adult, she required continuous monitoring and specialized care throughout her pregnancies for her health and the health of her babies. When she became pregnant with her first child, Frost was concerned about what that meant for her and her child. 

Chimene Dahl, MD, an ob-gyn physician with Billings OB-GYN Associates, recognized the complexities of Frost’s condition and enlisted the expertise of Michael Gordon, MD, a maternal fetal medicine specialist at Intermountain Health St. Vincent Regional Hospital, to ensure Frost received the best possible care.  

“When I first saw Annamiek, I shared with her how unique it was for her to be pregnant with some of her preexisting conditions, but I was confident that we could create a care plan for the health and safety of her and her baby,” said Dr. Gordon. 

"Dr. Gordon went above and beyond," Frost said. "He coordinated with my specialists in Washington and Billings, adjusting my medications, ensuring everyone was on the same page, and making sure we were receiving the care that we needed." 

Throughout the pregnancy, Frost saw Dr. Dahl and Dr. Gordon frequently. 

Despite the high-risk nature of her condition, the team carefully managed her care. Although she hoped to deliver naturally, complications arose during labor requiring Norris to be delivered via cesarian section. Frost felt reassured by the presence of her doctors.  

"They said if the cesarian section was needed, they wanted to be called. Dr. Dahl and Dr. Gordon both came in on a Sunday night to make sure Norris and I were going to be OK,” she said. 

After the healthy birth of Norris in 2023, Frost and her care team had an established plan of care, to monitor her health during her second pregnancy. "The second time, we knew what to expect, and everything went smoothly," Frost said. Royle was born healthy by a scheduled cesarean section at 37 weeks last year. 

Frost's gratitude extends beyond the medical care she received. "Anytime I struggled, my husband and family were there for me, and my care team were always available, even squeezing me in for ultrasounds when I felt uneasy." 

“Annamiek was the perfect patient,” shared Dr. Gordon. “Having a high-risk pregnancy can be stressful and she did a great job managing her stress and trusting her care team. In a complicated pregnancy, this can help increase the likelihood of a healthy outcome.” 

Celebrating Mother's Day this year with her two healthy boys holds special meaning for Frost. “I did not know if I was ever going to have kids,” she said. “The fact that I have two healthy babies is just more than I can put into words. I'm just grateful that I have them here and I'm able to celebrate Mother's Day.”

Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital caregivers delivered the first baby at the new facility on Sunday, Aug. 4, and he was quickly followed by 13 more babies over the next two days. 

Betsy De Leon, manager of women’s services for the hospital, said parents Joseph and Ashley Giron welcomed Joseph Giron on Sunday. He weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces and was 20 ¾ inches long.  

For the hospital to have that many babies in two days is a little unusual, De Leon said. In the former hospital, they averaged 4-5 babies a day for about 1,600 deliveries in a year. 

The increase is something De Leon expects to continue thanks to the hospital’s new location. “It’s so convenient right off Highway 58 and Interstate 70.” 

About 190 families who are scheduled to have their babies at Lutheran or who are expecting and wanted a tour attended two events at the hospital before the opening Aug. 3. De Leon said families who are interested in scheduling future tours can do so online.  

The new hospital offers 11 labor and delivery rooms, 19 mom and baby rooms for postpartum and two operating rooms. It also has a level 3 neonatal intensive care unit with 12 private rooms where caregivers can take care of babies born at 28 weeks or later.  

“We can provide care for women wanting minimal interventions up to offering anesthesia support for epidurals 24/7,” De Leon said. Each of the labor and delivery rooms has a bathtub as well, and the team offers lactation support daily.  

To learn more about the department, classes or register for a tour, please visit: https://intermountainhealthcare.org/locations/intermountain-health-lutheran-hospital/pregnancy-and-baby. 

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