hospital tours

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Virtual Tour of the CICU

Learn about the important features of our state-of-the-art Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU), the only specialized CICU in the region.

Prepare Your Child for Surgery

Take a virtual tour of the hospital and learn about the experience of having surgery at Children's National told through the voice of a child.

360 Virtual Tour

This 360 virtual tour of Children’s National gives parents the ability to look at some of our spaces and learn how we help kids grow up stronger.

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Virtual Hospital Tours

Virtual hospital tours, engage and immerse your audience with exceptional virtual hospital tours for your healthcare facilities.

With Virtually Anywhere, you can now use your website to provide virtual hospital tours of your hospital or patient-care facility to prospective patients, family members and staff. Virtually Anywhere is a virtual tour company who understands the changing marketing and recruitment needs in the healthcare industry. We have created affordable virtual tours that allow the public to view all areas of a hospital or patient care facility, giving visitors a feel for the environment and comforting them with a sense of what to expect upon arrival.

A few selected examples of our Virtual Hospital tours:

Southeast georgia health system virtual hospital tours, 2 separate campuses, but one great regional healthcare system..

We used innovative 360 degree video introductions to each campus, as well as aerial drone 360s of each campus to help show both hospital layouts and provide an engaging navigation system. Added voice overs help to polish the entire tour experience.

SGHS' mission is to provide safe, quality, accessible and cost-effective care to meet the health needs of the people and communities in coastal Georgia. This virtual tour helps helps teach the local community more about our their specialty care services, as well as become more familiar with, and help navigate, their 2 campuses.

ORLANDO HEALTH CANCER CENTER

A "system-wide" hospital virtual tour solution.

Orlando Health hired Virtually Anywhere to offer a System-Wide Solution, assuring maximum economies of scale. Producing all tours initially at once supported their goal of projecting a quality, consistent image for all its locations and service lines.

Virtually Anywhere has created a modular virtual tour system that can easily grow with its clients as they add service lines and locations. They also provide nationwide coverage to ensure delivery of the same high quality solution virtual hospital tours, regardless of facility size or location.

NICKLAUS CHILDREN’S VIRTUAL HOSPITAL TOURS

South florida's finest hospital exclusively for children.

Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children. With nearly 800 attending physicians and more than 475 pediatric subspecialists, the 309-bed hospital nonprofit hospital - known as Miami Children’s Hospital from 1983 through 2014 - is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine and routinely has many programs ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report.

Some additional example of our virtual hospital tours:

Cleveland clinic, shirley ryan ability labs, mercy virtual care center, awesome: optional & built-in features.

We can suggest a mix of added features to customize your presentation to highlight your facilities’ greatest strengths.

Our most popular add-on feature to display additional information and media elements.

Optional, but useful features can be added inside the 360° images to provide more informational detail to your viewers by incorporating your existing media assets. See Hotspot Demo

Deep Linking

Increase engagement exponentially by using this built-in feature.

Our deep links allow you to incorporate links throughout your site to open the tour directly to ANY 360 as the start image.

Detailed Analytics

Built-in detailed online reporting of what your viewers are seeing within the tour.

Online traffic reporting including all scene views, + hotspot interactions using our newest advanced platform. See Example Report

Aerial Imagery

Add drone imagery for intro videos and/or a 360 navigational element.

An exciting point of view to show facilities or campus orientations. Availability based on specific location(s). See Demo Tour

Interactive Floor Plan & Map

Use a map or floor plan as a navigational element to the tour.

From your provided artwork, we can add navigation elements to a campus map.  This is used inside the tour window to seamlessly flow from one 360 image to another. See Example Tour

Add polish to the presentation, especially useful for headset projects.

Professional Voice Over

We can produce professional custom voice overs to tell your story.  Cost varies based on script length and talent chosen.

See Sample Tour

Since 1998, we approach each job with an eye toward true user engagement, a streamlined and natural user-friendly design, and most of all, a customer service model you will not find elsewhere.

We offer virtual tour services in these locations:

Whether you’re an avid traveler, a curious explorer, or a business owner seeking to showcase your space, our virtual tours services are available across these areas.

California Virtual Tours Texas Virtual Tours Florida Virtual Tours New York Virtual Tours Pennsylvania Virtual Tours Illinois Virtual Tours Ohio Virtual Tours Georgia Virtual Tours North Carolina Virtual Tours

Michigan Virtual Tours New Jersey Virtual Tours Virginia Virtual Tours Washington Virtual Tours Arizona Virtual Tours Massachusetts Virtual Tours Tennessee Virtual Tours Indiana Virtual Tours Missouri Virtual Tours

Maryland Virtual Tours Wisconsin Virtual Tours Colorado Virtual Tours Minnesota Virtual Tours South Carolina Virtual Tours Alabama Virtual Tours Louisiana Virtual Tours Kentucky Virtual Tours Oregon Virtual Tours

Oklahoma Virtual Tours Connecticut Virtual Tours Utah Virtual Tours Iowa Virtual Tours Nevada Virtual Tours Arkansas Virtual Tours Mississippi Virtual Tours Kansas Virtual Tours

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• Professional Quality: High-resolution images and seamless virtual tours.
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Tours of Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic offers the following tours for patients and their guests:

Your tour will be led by Mayo Clinic volunteers and include viewing selected art pieces displayed at the Mayo, Gonda and Siebens buildings, all located on the downtown campus. The tours are offered 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, except holidays, and last one hour. Reservations are not required. The tour starts and ends at Heritage Hall in the Mathews Grand Lobby of the Mayo Building.

Self-guided tour of Mayo Historical Suite

Tour the suite that includes the last offices of Drs. William J. and Charles H. Mayo. The suite, on the third floor of the Plummer Building, is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. See more information on Mayo Clinic History & Heritage .

Self-guided tour of Heritage Hall

Heritage Hall, in the Mathews Grand Lobby of the Mayo Building, presents multimedia displays that link Mayo Clinic history with current activities and plans for the future. The museum has a small theater showing historical and contemporary films about Mayo Clinic throughout the day. Heritage Hall is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, call 507-284-8540 .

Self-guided tour of the Research Information Center

View multimedia displays highlighting Mayo research at the Mayo Clinic Research Information Center, in the lobby of the Gonda Building. The center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Self-guided tour of Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus

You can take a self-guided tour of Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus, between 8 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Tour brochures are available at the information desks at the hospital.

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10 Must-Ask Questions for Your Hospital Tour: Advice from a Labor and Delivery Nurse

As a labor and delivery nurse and the face behind Mommy Labor Nurse , I’m all about informed and empowered births. Birth is my thing, and I just love helping mamas have a better birth experience.

Today I want to talk about one pretty straightforward and FREE thing you can do to make that a reality. A hospital tour!

Seriously. Making the time to go on a tour of the hospital where you plan to deliver erases so many unknowns about birth. From knowing where to park and finding the L&D unit BEFORE you’re actually in labor to visualizing the room where you’ll meet your baby for the first time, the hospital tour is a must.

To help you get the most out of your hospital tour, I put together this list of 10 must-ask questions. Have any other ideas for questions to ask on your hospital tour? Post them in the comments!

What kinds of questions should you ask on your hospital tour?

You’ll notice that these questions are all hospital related. Meaning, I didn’t include questions about birth that are better suited for your provider . You know, like, “Can I eat during labor?” or “How often do you check dilation?”

Why? Well, often the people giving hospital tours are volunteers or childbirth educators who may not know birth-specific policies and recommendations. They also might give you misinformation, which is the last thing I want for you!

So try to keep your questions hospital related, like the ones below. And remember, you can’t ask too many questions! A friend of mine recounted that her husband asked if the TVs had an HDMI jack for their hard drive. So, yeah. They’ve literally heard it all .

10 questions to ask on your hospital tour

• How many visitors are allowed in the labor room? What about if I have a C-section ?
• Will I have access to a tub/shower? What is your policy on this?
• Is there a waiting room policy? How far is the waiting room?
• Will I ever have to share a room with anyone or are all the rooms private?
• Is there a cafeteria for visitors? What are the hours?
• How do I, as the patient, order food? Are there restrictions/hours?
• Is there pre-registration paperwork that I need to complete before I come?
• Will I be in the labor room for my entire stay, or will I change rooms?
• Where is the best place to park? Do you have to pay for parking?
• How should I enter the hospital? Is there a different entrance for overnight hours?

What if I can’t go on a tour because of COVID-19?

Your whole pregnancy is likely looking a lot different from what you expected —with limited in-person appointments for low-risk pregnancies, no in-person birth classes, and more.

And I know that this is hard and scary. Birth is already full of unknowns, and the pandemic has really upped the ante.

The good news is that we DO live in an era with amazing technology, and more and more hospitals are offering virtual tours of their labor and delivery units. Some have them pre-recorded, and some are even doing live virtual walk-throughs!

Reach out to your provider to find out what options are available to you. Getting to see where you’re giving birth is SO important. And it’s something you actually can control in these uncertain times.

Specific to birthing during COVID-19, here are some other hospital-related questions to ask, whether it’s on your virtual tour or at your next office or telehealth visit:

• Can I have a support person with me during labor?
• Can I have more than one support person (e.g., a doula and my partner)? (In most cases, this is a no, but it’s worth asking!)
• How long after birth can my support person stay? Is the rule different for C-sections vs. vaginal births?
• What safety protocols will my birth partner need to adhere to (e.g., temperature checks, mask-wearing , not leaving the room once they are there)?
• Are there limitations on certain labor coping strategies and mechanisms? (Many hospitals have suspended the use of nitrous oxide and do not allow birthing mamas to walk the halls.)
• Are there limitations on things related to hospital food, takeout food, or packing my own food due to COVID-19?
• What other hospital safety protocols should I be aware of?

Don’t stop at a hospital tour, Mama. You can take your virtual preparedness a step further! You don’t have to miss out on things like childbirth education , prenatal fitness , and newborn-care classes just because they aren’t in person right now. Many of these classes are available online in an e-learning format.

What’s more, you can use online forums, Facebook groups , and even Instagram to connect with mamas who are due around the same time as you and facing the same unique challenges of birthing during the pandemic.

Check the hospital tour off of your pre-birth to-do list!

The bottom line? Don’t skip the tour ! A lot of women don’t realize just how helpful a simple hospital tour can be until they do it. It’s like a weight is lifted. Visualization is powerful, and seeing where this is all going to go down WILL help. Use these questions as your guide and take this important step toward rocking your birth.

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Agency of medical tourism from Moscow (Russia). Treatment in Russia, CIS countries and worldwide

Company MedicaTour Ltd. is one of the leading medical tourism companies in the world. It is based in Moscow (Russia) and is engaged in the organization of treatment in Russia, CIS and around the world. Company works with the best hospitals of the world and leading doctors and can select quality treatment for any budget.

• All areas of medicine
• Both classic and innovative treatments
• Large government medical centers and private clinics around the world
• Selection of a medical institution for any budget

Our experts will provide you information about medical institutions in different countries and help you make an effective and safe choice of treatment.

• orthopedic operations (spine, joints, hernias, etc.)
• heart surgery
• cancer treatment
• diabetes treatment
• hepatitis C treatment
• all procedures for aesthetic and plastic surgery
• organ transplantation
• removal of stones from the kidneys, gall bladder, bladder
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• childbirth organization
• treatment of female diseases
• treatment of male diseases
• treatment of alcohol, drugs and other addictions
• chronic diseases
• healing spa
• detox programs
• anti-aging programs
• diagnostic programs
• weight loss programs

We also work with children's medical centers.

If you are diagnosed and have any doubts about this, we strongly recommend that you get a second opinion (second opinion of a specialist) from another country, or even from several countries.

Innovative treatments

The company is constantly monitoring the medical services market around the world and is aware of the emergence of new innovative treatment methods:

• stem cells treatment
• prostatectomy by Robot da Vinci;
• dendritic cells cancer treatment
• non-surgical treatment of the spine
• virotherapy of cancer
• CAR T-cells treatment of leukemia
• TIL therapy for ovarian cancer
• Vacuum aspiration biopsy (non-surgical removal of breast lesions)

Large state medical centers and private clinics

The main advantage of our services is that we offer you only well-studied and verified data on medical institutions, doctors and surgeons from Asia to the Middle East, Latin America and Europe, Moscow and the near abroad. In many institutions, our specialists visited themselves on study visits.

Contact us - call, send your requests  - we will provide you with the best options and answers. And then the choice is yours.

On June 22, the autograph session of the Founder and CEO of MedicaTour Tatiana Sokolov was successfully held on the occasion of the release of her first fiction book "The Way to Dehradun". At the meeting, the author was asked questions in an informal setting, all participants signed books with wishes and an autograph by Tatiana Sokolov.

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Take a Virtual Tour of the Labor & Delivery Suites

Before your big day arrives, get a preview of the accommodations for new moms at UT Southwestern's Clements University Hospital. From the chef-prepared meals to the roomy, high-tech labor and delivery suites, we want to make sure that you, your baby, and your family have the opportunity to bond in a safe and soothing environment.

We provide guided tours of our labor and delivery and postpartum areas at  William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital . Whether you are planning an addition to your family or already expecting, we invite you to take a free tour of the hospital.  Many of our expectant mothers find that a tour relieves anxiety about their hospital visit. 

During the tour, one of our Women’s Resource Center staff members will walk you through the whole delivery process, from admission to discharge, so that you will see exactly where you will go throughout the experience. Tours begin in the hospital lobby. Stops will include the check-in area, the labor and delivery room, the waiting area for your family and friends, and a patient room similar to the one where you and your baby will stay.

Registration is required for a tour. Please call  214-633-6640  to register. If you are enrolled to attend the Childbirth Class, a hospital tour is included.

Clements University Hospital is located at 6201 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390. This is on Harry Hines between Mockingbird and Inwood Rd. in the Dallas Medical District.

Parking is available in the visitor garage in front of the hospital for $3, or you can valet at the hospital entrance for $5.

Date and time information will be provided when you register ( 214-633-6640 ).

Meet in the main lobby on the first floor. Wear comfortable shoes.

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Ask These Questions During Your Labor & Delivery Hospital Tour

By Yasmine Moussa Published: June 17, 2023 Updated: July 8, 2024 This article contains affiliate links. Please see our full affiliate policy .

Believe it or not, taking a hospital tour is an important step in preparing for childbirth. During your hospital or birthing center tour, you’ll have an opportunity to ask questions as you walk through the labor and delivery ward.

Why You Should Tour the Hospital Before Giving Birth

What you can expect during your hospital tour, 3 goals for your hospital tour, questions to ask on your labor & delivery hospital tour, prepare for your hospital tour.

But, if you’re anything like me, in the moment it can be hard to think of all the critical questions you want to ask. Either they fly right out of your head, or you don’t think of them until after the fact. That’s why I’ve put together this complete list of questions to ask on your hospital tour. 

With this list, you’ll know all your bases are covered — from the hospital’s C-section rates and newborn care procedures to food policies and visiting hours.

Much like writing a birth plan , taking a labor & delivery hospital tour is an important step in preparing for childbirth. Touring the hospital you’ll be giving birth in will help you visualize your birth experience and remove some of the unknowns surrounding labor and delivery.

Think about it like this: childbirth is an endurance event, and there can be a lot of unknowns. So, it’s smart to prepare yourself and do what you can to set yourself up for success…

Just like an athlete would visit a field, court, or track before a big competition, you’d want to gain comfort and familiarity in the location where you plan to give birth.

And, more importantly, taking a hospital or birthing center tour gives you a chance to have all of your questions answered. During your hospital tour, you can ask questions regarding the hospital’s policies, visitor rules, hospital statistics, and birthing logistics. You can also find out how well the hospital or birthing center can accommodate your birthing preferences and choices.

As if that weren’t enough reason to take a hospital tour before giving birth, arriving for your hospital tour is a chance to dry-run where to park, what hospital entrance to use, and how to get to the labor and delivery unit. This way, when it’s go-time, you and your partner know exactly where to head.

Most hospitals offer regularly scheduled tours of their Labor & Delivery units monthly or weekly. Generally, this information is listed on the hospital website, but you can also call the hospital and ask to speak to L&D and ask them over the phone.

If your hospital offers general tour times, you may be on the tour with a group of other expecting couples. It’s kind of nice to connect with other expectant mamas who are also close to giving birth, and learn from their questions in addition to your own.

Hospital tours usually take 30-60 minutes and are often led by a childbirth educator or L&D nurse.

Be prepared, because you will likely hear women in labor during your tour. For some mamas, the hospital tour is what makes birth feel suddenly more real!

Consider bringing a small notebook with your most pertinent questions (or a printout of this list) and taking notes on things that feel especially important. 

Remember to cater your questions to your unique birth wishes and needs.  No question is too small or silly! Hospital tours are a time to erase doubt and stress surrounding your birth so that you arrive prepared and relaxed to have the birth your desire.

When I went for my hospital tour, I was that mom asking tons of questions. I probably embarrassed my hubby a little, but I was there to learn and have my questions answered. And you know what? I’m 90% sure that the other couples on the tour benefitted from hearing the answers to my questions too.

When taking your hospital tour, keep these goals in mind:

• Take a hospital tour to get comfortable with where you’ll be giving birth. I want you to feel comfortable, confident, and at ease during labor and childbirth, and that goes double if you’re giving birth in a hospital. Yes, you’ll be touring the space, but also gaining comfort and familiarity with the hospital. Seeing the birthing rooms and walking the halls will help make the space slightly more familiar to you for when the day arrives.
• The hospital tour can give you the inside scoop. Getting to meet some of the Labor & Delivery nurses and getting your questions answered can give you insight to help you prepare for childbirth. Knowing small details like what’s provided to you, what kind of room you’ll birth in, and what to expect will go a long way in addressing any questions, concerns, and hesitations you might not even realize you have.
• Taking a hospital tour helps you work out the logistics for your birthing day. By driving to the hospital, parking, finding the entrance, and walking the halls, you’ll have a dry run under your belt for when it’s time to check in to the hospital.

So, be sure to keep these goals in mind as you go on your hospital tour. And whenever possible, take the tour in person and not online. We want you to physically be present and get to see the Labor & Delivery ward yourself.

Here is a comprehensive list of things to look for and questions to ask on your hospital tour. Many of these questions will likely be answered during the tour presentation, and you might get some of these questions answered on the hospital’s website or through your medical provider.

And some of these questions relate more to your birth plan and preferences than anything, so feel free to add your preferences to your birth plan and be respectfully vocal about them. Whether you get these questions answered on your hospital tour or otherwise, this list of questions will help you prepare for birth.

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Questions about hospital policies, logistics, and stats

• Where is the best place to park for the duration of our stay? Is parking free? Are there parking vouchers? Where should visitors park?
• What entrance should we use when we arrive? Is there a different entrance for after-hours?
• How do we get a wheelchair when we arrive, if needed?
• What are the check-in policies? Is check-in different during regular hospital hours vs. after hours? Can I pre-register online to save time before the big day?
• What identification, medical information, or other paperwork should we have with us when we arrive?
• How is the cell service and WiFi in the hospital/L&D rooms?
• What is the visitor policy? Is there a visitor waiting area? What is the policy for other children/siblings?
• Does the hospital offer childbirth classes, breastfeeding classes or other newborn education classes I should know about?
• Rate of C-Sections at the hospital?
• Epidural rate among births?
• Rate of induction?
• Episiotomy rate?
• Forceps/vacuum rates?
• Rate of augmentation during labor?
• What level NICU does this hospital have? What could this mean in the event of an emergency for baby after birth?  Read more about  NICU levels  and why they matter
• What are the hospital’s philosophies and attitude towards pain intervention, newborn care and breastfeeding? Do you emphasize  patient/family-centered care ?
• Can I bring in outside food and drinks? (Think, food for labor and afterwards for you and your partner/family.)

Questions about labor and birth rooms and experience

• Birthing ball
• Hydrotherapy showers
• Laboring tub
• Dimmable lights
• Control of thermostat
• Refrigerator
• Access to linens (extra towels, sheets, pillows)
• Heating pads/hot water bottles
• If there are laboring tubs, how long do you allow women to labor in the water? What are the safety policies surrounding labor tubs? Do you offer water births?
• Are the hydrotherapy showers large enough for your partner or doula to join you and provide additional support? What are policies surrounding this?
• Is movement encouraged and supported during labor?
• What are the policies surrounding eating and drinking during labor? What does the hospital provide (ice chips, broth, jell-O, popsicles, crackers)?
• Are there plenty of outlets for things like chargers, heating pads, speakers, sound machine? (You can probably observe this yourself as you walk through the labor and birthing rooms.)
• Are there different types of labor rooms? Can I see the various options/possibilities to help me better visualize my birth? (Note: this will depend on what rooms are available/not occupied by a birthing mama.)
• Does the hospital require routine IVs or are they only given when medically necessary? If they are required, is a saline lock possible instead?
• Do you require electronic fetal monitoring, and is it intermittent? How many minutes in an hour does it need to be worn during labor?
• Are cervical checks standard care in this hospital? Can I opt out of cervical checks or limit them if I choose?
• In the event that constant fetal monitoring is deemed necessary, do you have monitors that allow movement and can be worn in the shower?
• In the event of a necessary IV, do you have mobile poles to promote movement?
• Does the hospital offer  Nitrous Oxide as a less-invasive pain intervention   option? (Note: one should not  opt for laughing gas/nitrous oxide if they have or suspect they have the MTHFR gene variation.)
• Are visitor policies different for labor vs. recovery?
• Are cameras and filming allowed? What about professional photographers and videographers?
• Does the hospital have a doula network or offer low-cost doula or doula-assistance?
• What would happen in the event that all of the labor and birth rooms are filled? How likely is this? (Note: at some large hospitals, women have had to labor and birth in hospital hallways. It happens.)
• Do you encourage/allow birthing mothers to push in any position?
• Do you offer warm compresses to be used between pushes to prevent tearing? Can this be arranged? Should I bring my own supplies to make this happen? ( Note: this is one of the only research-proven ways to reduce your risk of serious tearing during birth  – source )
• Is delayed cord clamping considered standard care at this hospital?
• Can you save my placenta for me to bring home? Do you offer encapsulation services?
• What is the standard of care in this hospital surrounding immediate skin-to-skin bonding and breastfeeding within the first hour? 
• Can I delay all newborn care procedures until after the first feeding/for 1-2 hours after birth?
• Will I recover in the same room where I labored and birthed? If not, what will the switch to a recovery room look like?
• Does my partner accompany me?
• Do you offer clear drapes, lowered drapes, or a mirror for me to watch?
• Can I still do immediate skin-to-skin bonding after birth?
• If baby needs medical care, does my partner go with baby?
• When can I begin breastfeeding after a C-Section?

Questions about newborn care and recovery

• Are recovery rooms different for vaginal births vs. C-Section births?
• Can I expect a private recovery room or shared room? What would determine my eligibility or likelihood of each?
• A place for my partner to sleep (double bed, pull-out chair or couch, couch)
• Nursing chair
• Bedside bassinet or easily accessed sleep space for baby
• Baby care supplies
• Postpartum care supplies
• Breastfeeding support pillows
• Showers, tubs, sitz baths?
• Will I have access to Lactation Consultants during my hospital stay? Do they make routine visits to all patients or do I need to sign up? Are they on staff 7 days a week?
• How long do I have to stay at the hospital after birth? Can I make arrangements for an early discharge? What do I need to do ahead of time to make this a reality? (ie: home visit from nurse, midwife, pediatrician, etc.)
• What is the average length of stay for a vaginal birth and C-Section birth?
• What meals are provided to me during my recovery?
• What can I expect in terms of pediatric care for my newborn during our hospital stay? How often will I see the pediatrician and be able to ask questions? (Note: you will need to select a pediatrician and contact them once your baby is born.)
• What kind of support do you offer to new mothers after discharge? Breastfeeding support groups, drop-in breastfeeding support, postpartum support groups, etc.

Questions to ask yourself and discuss with your partner after your hospital tour

After your hospital tour, it’s important to do some self-reflection and have an intentional discussion with your partner. This could be in the car on the way home or at a coffee shop immediately after; it doesn’t matter as long as you have a debrief with your partner.

Discuss what you learned, saw and heard. Share your general impressions with each other and discuss any concerns now.

Remember that it’s never too late to switch providers or even hospitals if you have more than one option available to you. If there aren’t multiple hospital options, what can you do to make the best of birthing at this hospital? For example, hiring a doula to support you during birth and be an additional advocate during your birth can make a big difference. 

What’s most important is that you will feel comfortable, safe and well-cared for when it’s time to give birth! 

Here are some questions and topics to discuss with your hubby after your hospital tour.

• What was your general impression after the hospital tour?
• How busy did the Labor and Delivery unit seem?
• Did the floor seem warm and homey or more clinical? Do we perceive that as a good or bad thing?
• Was there a strong sense of communication and community on the floor and between the staff?
• Did things feel organized and like they were running smoothly?
• Based on what we saw in the labor/birth rooms and recovery rooms, what do we need to add to our hospital bag list?
• Will I feel supported and honored in my birth wishes at this hospital?

Now that you’ve read this complete list of questions to ask on your hospital tour, your wheels are probably turning. Take some time to decide what questions are most important to you and your birth wishes. 

If there were topics on this list that you were unfamiliar with, do some research and better understand what it is you want out of your birth experience and newborn care. Having a strong sense of your own birth plan and non-negotiables can make your hospital tour questions more productive.

My  Guide to Creating a Natural Birth Plan with Free Printable Template  is a great resource to help you! And be sure to check out the Natural Labor Playbook , a quick reference guide for what to do in labor.

From there, you can create your own list of questions for your hospital tour that is as unique as your birth and baby!

If you found this list of questions to ask on your hospital tour useful, pin it for later!

Want more support during your pregnancy?

Join PURE Pregnancy , my holistic pregnancy guide. Have your best, most prepared pregnancy… starting today!

If you’re prepping for childbirth and labor, you might also be interested in:

• How to Push Without Tearing
• 5 Unexpected Things That Happen After Childbirth
• Free Natural Birth Plan Template

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Ghost hunters flock to Colfax as Haunted Hospital tours resume

By Jennifer K. Bauer

They’re ba-ack.

Ghost hunters and thrill-seekers are again flocking to Colfax for a chance to tour its abandoned 1893 St. Ignatius Hospital.

Last year the Colfax Chamber of Commerce planned a series of Haunted Hospital tours as a way to raise money and awareness about the building that has stood empty for more than a decade and is in a state of extreme disrepair. The tours were billed as the last chance for the community to see the building before a developer remodeled it into luxury apartments. The developer did not follow through on those plans and the hospital is for sale, said Valoree Gregory, the unified

executive director for the Colfax chamber, downtown association, arts council and historic preservation commission.

The tours are a way to get the word out about the building in hopes of attracting an investor, she said. “It’s a beautiful building that would really change Colfax.”

While a few investors have inquired about the building it has attracted scores of ghost hunters. Haunted Hospital tours sell out as fast as events are listed. More than 650 people had signed up for October tours as of last week. This year’s events include sleepovers, private and public tours ranging from one to three hours and a scary movie night where participants will watch “Session 9,” a film about an asbestos crew cleaning up an abandoned mental hospital with a horrific past.

Since last year an episode of “Paranormal Lockdown” was filmed at the hospital. The program airs on Destination America, a channel devoted to “paranormal entertainment.” It features two ghost hunters who spend 72 hours locked in a purportedly haunted location. The Colfax episode will premiere early next year, Gregory said. The hospital was also featured in a YouTube episode by liveScifi.net, although they didn’t name the specific location, and Gregory was recently contacted by another Destination America show, “Ghost Brothers,” about filming there.

Paranormal teams pay for the chance to be locked into the building. Last year’s tours earned a total of $40,000. This year the chamber set a $20,000 goal for October and is on track to meeting it, she said. The chamber has used the money to create a monthly First Thursday event (see info below) with live music and vendors in downtown Colfax and a matching grant program for downtown storefront improvement, she said.

The hospital has proven to be an unexpected moneymaker, bringing hordes of tourists to the rural town. People often ask Gregory why they want to sell it.

“We don’t have enough money to fix it up,” Gregory said about the 50,000-square-foot building where the pipes burst long ago and plaster is falling off the walls. There are holes in the roof and when it rains water runs down the staircases, she said.

“We’ve blocked off certain spots this year that didn’t have to (be blocked off) last year,” she said about the safety of the building. “I don’t want to see it condemned. I just want somebody to save this building.”

The listed price for the hospital is $350,000. St. Ignatius was the first and only hospital in Whitman County for years. Many residents, including Gregory, were born there.

“If somebody can bring that back to life, that’s what we want,” she said.

What: Colfax First Thursday When: 3 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6 Where: Colfax Of Note: There will be street vendors, live music and shopping downtown. One hour ghost tours of the hospital will be offered at 6, 8 and 9:30 p.m. for $10. People must register in advance online at www.colfaxhauntedhospital.com for tours.

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M.O.M.S. tour addresses high maternal mortality in Birmingham, offers crucial support

by Austin Pratt

Rev. Dr. Que English - Director of Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. (abc3340.com)

The M.O.M.S. or Maternal Outcome Matter Showers tour came to Birmingham 9/8. The tour targets cities with high maternal mortality and morbidity rates providing support and educating families how to navigate their pregnancies.

Alabama ranks 47th in infant mortality rate according to the Alabama department of public health. But Rev. Dr. Que English, director of Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships says the whole country is struggling:

"The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality, which is death rate, than any developed nation in the world. And we also know that 80% of pregnancy related deaths are preventable."

SEE ALSO: Tuition increase on the way for Auburn University students

SEE ALSO: UA board of Trustees officially approve the renaming of Saban Field

Birmingham city councilor J.T. Moore spoke at the tour. He explained he lost his first child to negligence from a doctor-one of those preventable deaths. Moore urged both the women and men in the room to advocate for the mother and child:

"In those spaces you have doctors with white coats who look like professionals but no one is more of a professional on your body than you are."

Almost 500 people came to the tour to learn about pregnancy and postpartum care receiving life saving information. It's a big impact on the community but Dr. Que English says the M.O.M.S. tour is a band-aid for a much larger and needed solution:

"We need to do a better job in those areas, and we need our elected officials to step up to the plate to see these outcomes improved."

More about the tour: "The M.O.M.S. Tour targets cities with high maternal mortality and morbidity rates, especially among Black and American Indian/Alaska Native populations. The Tour brings together mental health professionals, birth workers, medical professionals, and community members to provide resources and support for pregnant and postpartum women and engage in meaningful discussions on maternal health disparities. In addition to baby resources, pregnant women and families will have access to essential health-related services such as healthcare coverage, mental health services, vaccinations, substance use disorder support, local services offered by doulas and midwives, health screenings, toolkits for postpartum depression, nutritious food, and more."

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Home » Tom London thanks Gayton, SA after ‘hellish’ Helen Joseph Hospital stay [video]

Tom London thanks Gayton, SA after ‘hellish’ Helen Joseph Hospital stay [video]

Radio personality Tom London thanked South Africans, including Gayton McKenzie, for helping him after his horrific Helen Joseph Hospital stay.

Veteran radio broadcaster Tom London Holmes has thanked Gayton McKenzie for coming to his rescue after a “hellish” few days at the Helen Joseph Hospital.

He’s also thanked the public for donating for him to seek treatment at a private medical over a life-threatening lung infection.

The former Cape Talk presenter – who is one of several high-profile people without medical aid –  documented his stay at the Pretoria public hospital in video clips that have since gone viral.

TOM LONDON THANKS PUBLIC, GAYTON FOR ASSISTING HIM

On Sunday, 8 September, Tom London revealed that he had sought treatment at Morningside Clinic in Sandton. With funds donated by the public, Tom was able to get an appointment with a private pulmonologist.

Tom – a former Cape Talk and 702 radio personality – hinted that Minister of Sport Gayton McKenzie had also come to his rescue.

In a Facebook Live, he revealed that the Patriotic Alliance leader had a councillor sent to assist him at the clinic.

He also claimed that the Patriotic Alliance had also put pressure on Helen Joseph Hospital to improve its facilities.

He said: “Money has come to me thanks to Gayton and the PA. It’s rare that a minister puts his money where his mouth is.

“I feel that he is a politician who has my back and who will keep pushing to help change healthcare in this country. He doesn’t owe me anything, but I’m very grateful for what he’s done.”

Thank you Gayton Mckenzie for your support Posted by Tom London on Saturday 7 September 2024

Tom London also thanked the public for putting their hands in their pockets to help it.

He said, “It’s all added up to pay Morningside Clinic’s fees. They’re not cheap. I needed over R120 000, and that’s what I received.

“The money is enough to get me treatment. Thank you from the bottom of my heart”.

Tom added that he was put on a treatment plan, which included a drain in my chest and a strong course of antibiotics.

He added: “I’m on my road to recovery. I think I’m going to be ok.”

HELLISH STAY AT HELEN JOSEPH

In a video posted over the weekend, Tom London revealed the horrific conditions of the Helen Joseph Hospital.

The radio personality had been a patient at the hospital for 14 days, where he was told he had contracted a life-threatening condition of a pleural effusion, which is the build-up of fluid in the lungs.

In a clip titled “Welcome to the Helen Joseph Hospital,” Tom revealed that he had been subjected to “uncaring staff” who had “mistreated” him.

Welcome to the Helen Joseph Circus Hospital WATCH TILL THE END! Posted by Tom London on Friday 6 September 2024

Tom revealed that he had laid in his own faeces, and slept without a pillow or blanket for several days. He also had to watch another patient die in front of him in his hospital room.

Tom claimed that the patient’s body remained in the room for four hours, covered in flies,  before the mortuary collected it.

He said: “The doctors who run about here treat the patients like cockroaches.”

MEC DEFENDS HELEN JOSEPH HOSPITAL

Meanwhile, Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko paid a visit to Helen Joseph Hospital for an inspection following Tom London’s social media claims.

She said in a statement: “Tom London, 51, was admitted to the hospital on August 25. He was in the facility for 14 days, where he was cared for, subjected to tests and stabilised. On 7 September, he signed a refusal of treatment form and discharged himself from the hospital.

“Having received a briefing from the clinicians on the treatment given to Tom London, the department is satisfied adequate clinical care was discharged to manage his condition. In addition, the department is willing to allow an independent process to review the quality of clinical care provided to him while at the hospital.” 

The MEC conceded that the hospital had poor infrastructure issues.

She added: “There are known infrastructure issues which are being attended too as part of the maintenance and refurbishment programme. However, these have not had a material effect on the treatment given to patients admitted at the hospital.”

HAVE YOU HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE AT A PUBLIC HOSPITAL LIKE TOM LONDON?

Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below or by emailing [email protected] . You can also send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211 . Don’t forget to follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest social media updates.

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WEATHER ALERT: Expect one of the coolest mornings of the season, temperatures reaching into the 40s in parts of the DC region

Lake Street Dive celebrates 20th anniversary with ‘Good Together’ tour at Merriweather Post

Jason Fraley | [email protected]

September 9, 2024, 4:14 AM

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Lake Street Dive is bringing its 20th anniversary tour to Maryland this weekend.

The band rocks Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, on Friday night.

“We’ve been in the region many times over the years, but this is our first time at this specific venue,” Drummer Mike Calabrese told WTOP.

“It’s always been great for us down there for sure. We were playing tiny clubs in D.C. back in the day, then the 9:30 Club, then we did Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia, and we’ve been in the small clubs of Baltimore, too, so this has been a good all around regional area for us.”

They’re calling it the “Good Together” Tour, fittingly named after the title track of their latest album.

“It’s named after the song but figuratively it really is about the fact that we’ve been a band for 20 years and we’ve been able to make it work and it’s still working this long. Also, some of the subject matter in the songs is very much about how people can connect, making connection possible, remembering that with some intention, the right focus and the right work you can work well with anybody. That can be found as a common thread throughout.”

Formed in Boston in 2004, the pop-soul, alt-jazz and folk-rock band mostly met at the New England Conservatory of Music.

The original lineup featured Calabrese (drums), Rachael Price (vocals), Bridget Kearney (bass) and of course Mike “McDuck” Olson (lead vocals, trumpet and guitar), who named the band after a dive-bar-style bowling alley on Lake Street in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that was a family favorite among his hometown relatives.

“There’s a spot called Bryant Lake Bowl on Lake Street in Minneapolis that one of McDuck’s uncles, who is also a trumpet player, frequented,” Calabrese said.

“Back in the day it was one of the cool underground clubs and that was the original idea, it would be a band you would see in a dive bar. That’s how we got our start and developed a following in Boston and we still try to bring that to the stage even if the stage is as big as Merriweather Post.”

Lake Street Dive’s first full-length indie album “In This Episode” (2007) was partially funded by Kearney winning the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, using the $1,000 cash prize to produce 1,000 CDs of their first gritty effort.

“It was pretty cool,” Calabrese said.

“We don’t even sell that album anymore because it’s not our best work, but Bridget had written a song that the band recorded called ‘Sometimes When I’m Drunk and You’re Wearing My Favorite Shirt.’ … She took half her winnings and donated it, then took the other half like, ‘Hey, I know this is a brand new band, but you guys helped me record the demo, so let’s put this toward making our first album.'”

After their second independent album “Promises Promises” (2008), the band delivered its true breakthrough studio album with the self-titled release “Lake Street Dive” (2010).

“The first album that we still sell is the eponymous one, ‘Lake Street Dive,’ which is technically our third but that was the first album where we decided we’re not going to pursue the jazz element, we’re gonna go this new route with back beats and four-minute songs,” Calabrese said.

“We still play songs from that record because it still somewhat represents us as a band, our more concise, cogent pop songs, so that’s kind of where we start.”

The band continued to evolve with their next album “Bad Self Portraits” (2014).

“The title track is still a big one for us, and also ‘You Go Down Smooth,’ those are two songs we play almost every show to this day, but a great tune from that record that we haven’t played in a while is ‘Just Ask,’ written by McDuck,” Calabrese said.

“That was one of the better songs he ever wrote and it was a turning-point song for us where we embraced this more moody, emotional side of us in a perfect way. I think about that song a lot.”

Their next album “Side Pony” (2016) delivered the tunes “Call Off Your Dogs” and “I Don’t Care About You.”

“‘Call Off Your Dogs’ we brought back because we’ve been touring around with the Huntertones, this horn group, but we didn’t play the title track ‘Side Pony’ for years because although McDuck had written it, he was very embarrassed by it, he kind of wrote it as a lark, basically a love song for his wife who at their wedding had a side ponytail, and the greater meaning of it is more about what makes you you, what is your flair or your signature?”

In 2018, the band recorded the Emmy-nominated theme song for the Netflix foodie series “Somebody Feed Phil,” the same year as their sixth album “Free Yourself Up” (2018) with fan favorites like “I Can Change” and “Shame Shame Shame.” It also included arguably their catchiest, most mainstream hit “Good Kisser.”

“It’s just a great sentiment,” Calabrese said.

“Bridget wrote that one with a great melody, hook, feel, all that stuff. … Breakup songs usually go one of two ways: begging someone to take you back or you’re the worst and I never want to talk to you again … but what’s good about ‘Good Kisser’ is that it’s like, ‘OK, be fair, tell the whole truth, if you’re gonna gossip about me after we break up, how about you tell them all the good stuff too?'”

After a pandemic hiatus, they released their much-anticipated seventh album “Obviously” (2021), which featured the tracks “Making Do,” “Know That I Know” and the popular song “Hypotheticals.”

“We started work on that album in late 2019,” Calabrese said.

“We took a little break and did a cruise for a week in February 2020, we were hearing all this news, got back from the cruise, finished the record and three days after flying home it was lockdown. All the songs were written and recorded before the pandemic hit, so we were able to mix and master it remotely, but we had to sit on it for a year and a half before we played a single show.”

McDuck left the band in 2021, leaving the rest to emerge from the pandemic with “Good Together.”

“He did some soul searching and it just was not right for him or his family, which is 100% understandable and respected, and he went into education,” Calabrese said.

“It was very amicable and maturely discussed. … For years we’ve just been notorious amongst ourselves as the lowest-drama band I think you could possibly find. We’re not cool, there’s no hijinx, we don’t trash hotel rooms and we don’t have big blowout acrimonious fights.”

Listen to our full conversation on the podcast below:

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Hailed by The Washington Post for “his savantlike ability to name every Best Picture winner in history," Jason Fraley began at WTOP as Morning Drive Writer in 2008, film critic in 2011 and Entertainment Editor in 2014, providing daily arts coverage on-air and online.

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