On July 6, 2009, Great Bend Regional Hospital celebrated the birth of its first baby functioning as a full service hospital. Parents, Matt and Krysten Watkins, as well as big sister, Reese, welcomed Grant Matthew Watkins into their family. On Aug. 9, the hospital celebrated an equally exciting event, with the delivery of its 500th baby. Caden Lee Lohmann, was born to Jonathan Lohmann and Christina Kaspar of Hays. Dr. RogerMarshall had the privilege of delivering both the first and 500th baby. The parents of the 500th baby received gift certificates to treat themselves, as well as an overflowing basket of goodies for their newborn.
The hospital staff gathered for a reception held in the obstetrics department to commemorate the milestone for the hospital and to celebrate with the family. The hospital will continue to provide  care for future expectant mothers and their babies through the hospital’s physicians Dr. Roger Marshall, Dr. Jodi Henrikson, Dr. Perry Smith, Dr. Jeff Brozek, and Dr. Teri Turkle, as well as the support of the pediatricians, Dr. Marta Edmonds, Dr. Ryan Williams, and Dr. Christopher Koster, all with the Great Bend Children’s Clinic.
The OB nursing staff is trained to provide care for the mothers and their babies, staying focused on the patient’s comfort and safety, GBRH administrative assistant Amy Blackburn. “Great Bend Regional Hospital knows that the birth of a child is one of the most extraordinary events in people’s lives.”
The hospital celebrates with each new mother by providing a steak dinner for two on the night of their choice. Heartland Women’s and Children’s Center is equipped with a Level II Nursery, four pediatric rooms, four labor and delivery rooms, and four Post Partum rooms.