New Moms Find Joy at Wexford Hospital

Erika Frick, BSN, RNC-NIC stood at the doors of AHN Wexford Hospital’s Women and Infants Center the way you hope any nurse in labor and delivery would, exuding confidence but oozing compassion.

She had a smile beneath her mask that came through in the kindness in her eyes, and a welcoming enthusiasm in her voice that bounced off the walls.

For many mothers, a visit to the labor and delivery unit of a hospital brings back memories of tears, joy, fear, frustration, and exhaustion. Erika takes pride in developing a department that is instrumental in making these memories.

“Creating a new labor and delivery unit was simply unbelievable,” Erika said. “It was a lot of preparation and organization that went into it. By far the most rewarding thing I've done in my career was to watch it go from dreaming to blood, sweat, and tears, to full-on success — with the birth of our first baby.”

Dedicated employees make for happy families

When Erika talks about the employee culture within the hospital, she explains how it directly impacts the care that moms, babies, and families receive when they come to deliver.

“From our president, Dr. Allan Klapper, on through, everyone takes the time to learn each other’s names and where we came from,” said Erika. “We all built it together, so we all have this pride. It feels like it's truly ours because we worked so hard to make it what it is. We want it to come across in every aspect of care. It truly feels like a community.”

This culture makes sure the staff members feel