News

It has turned out to be a Halloween season to remember at The Maternity Center at South Texas Health System McAllen. On October 31, the labor and delivery team helped welcome a special Halloween gift to one Rio Grande Valley family: Baby Celine Ariela Cavazos, a boo-tiful baby girl who weighed in at 6 pounds, 1 ounce and measured 19 inches long.

“It was all very unexpected, but such a nice surprise,” says Miranda Cano of the arrival of her first child. “I was supposed to give birth on November 18, but Celine had other plans! It feels incredibly special.”

With Little Celine’s arrival, one of six babies born at the facility on Halloween day, the Maternity Center at STHS McAllen made history by logging its 100th delivery in a single month, a milestone the facility had not hit since 2016. “This is a tremendous milestone for our labor and delivery team because the increase in births we’ve experienced this year means that more families and providers are entrusting STHS McAllen to provide quality, compassionate care during such an important time in their lives,” says Graciela Moreno-Chavana, BSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, Director of Women’s Services and Nurseries, The Maternity Center at STHS McAllen. “It shows that people have confidence in our ability to provide excellent care and they are entrusting us with something incredibly precious – the health and well-being of their loved ones. We’re just honored to be part of those special moments for local families and their beautiful journeys.”

The increase in deliveries at STHS McAllen serves as a testament to South Texas Health System’s unwavering commitment to providing quality, compassionate care at the highest level to the communities we serve, including those with expanding families. 

"It’s a profound honor to be part of these significant moments in the lives of so many families,” says Emma Montes-Ewing, Chief Executive Officer, South Texas Health System. “This milestone reaffirms our commitment to providing quality, compassionate care at the highest level while helping nurture the next generation to ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive."

The Maternity Center at STHS McAllen's highly trained and experienced staff provide personalized care for mother, baby and the entire family through their combining clinical excellence, advanced medical technology and personal staff attention to help make childbirth an even more memorable experience. The facility’s specialized nurses are trained in advanced cardiac life support; basic, intermediate and advanced fetal monitoring; triage, charge, surgery and recovery care; perinatal, lactation and postpartum education; and early baby care, including sudden infant and death syndrome (SIDS), shaken baby syndrome and postpartum depression.

Meanwhile, just steps from the labor and delivery suites, STHS McAllen is home to a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The first in the Rio Grande Valley when it opened more than 40 years ago, the NICU continues to offer advanced neonatal care, including intensive care services performed by skilled surgical teams are available if your baby needs special attention. The special care nursery is family-oriented and provides a high level of medical and nursing care, as well as compassion and caring attention to infants and families.

“Choosing a maternity center is important; it involves trust and confidence in quality care,” says Moreno-Chavana. “We’ve been an integral part of the Rio Grande Valley community in this same location since 1985, with an unwavering commitment to making a positive impact for the lives of our patients and community.”   

South Texas Health System has continually been recognized for its outstanding women’s services, having received a 2023 Gynecologic Surgery Excellence Award for the fifth consecutive year from Healthgrades®, the leading resource connecting consumers with hospitals and doctors. STHS McAllen and STHS Edinburg are the only facilities in Hidalgo County to receive the recognition for five years in a row. 

STHS was also named a 2023 Five-Star Recipient for C-Section Delivery, Hysterectomy and Gynecology Procedures, reflecting the system’s commitment to consistently deliver high-quality women’s healthcare. It also places the organization in the upper echelon of hospitals for OB/GYN care nationwide as it ranks among the top 5% of hospitals evaluated for gynecologic surgery for five years in a row.