Northeast Georgia Medical Center Habersham welcomed the first baby to be born at the newly named facility just three days after it officially joined the Northeast Georgia Health System.
Baby Maddie Kate Littrell was delivered via cesarean section by Dr. Thomas Hatchett on July 3 at 10:38 a.m. to parents Katy and David Littrell of Tiger, weighing 7 pounds, 14 ounces.
“Maddie’s birth was a very special moment not just for her family but also for all of us at NGMC Habersham,” Dr. Hatchett said. “Habersham Medical Center has cared for this community and those in the surrounding area for 70 years, and I’m proud to be a part of this new chapter. Katy and Maddie are just two of many patients who will benefit from the support NGHS has committed to NGMC Habersham.”
Katy delivered her son at Habersham Medical Center seven years ago, and knew she wanted to also deliver Maddie in Habersham, despite the need to transfer her son to the neonatal intensive care unit at NGMC Gainesville when he was born.
“Several people asked me why I wasn’t going to deliver in Gainesville, but I was adamant that I wanted to be close to home and deliver in Habersham,” Katy said. “I didn’t want to be an hour away and I wanted to be somewhere familiar. Dr. Hatchett and his midwife, Britteny Baron, reassured me that the transition to NGHS wouldn’t change the fact that they had a great deal of experience and would take excellent care of me, so we scheduled the C-section for this Monday. Thankfully, we didn’t need the NICU this time.”
Katy also had a connection to the facility as a former Habersham Medical Center nurse. She noted in a press release that the atmosphere at NGMC Habersham was noticeably different.
“The staff were so very attentive,” Katy said. “They remembered that my first delivery was not easy and took extra care every step along the way, making sure that I knew the change was ‘just a computer system change’ for them. It was a wonderful experience and I’m so glad we have such a great hospital nearby.”
