Fort Sanders Perinatal Center, Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and East Tennessee Children’s Hospital Provide Care for Rogersville Family

While expecting twins last year, London Hopkins, 26, and her husband, Michael, of Rogersville traveled to Knoxville more than 20 times to receive prenatal care at Fort Sanders Perinatal Center, located at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. The trip took an hour and 20 minutes each way, “but it was totally worth it,” Hopkins said.

“They are our first babies, and when I found out I was having twins, I was absolutely terrified. I didn’t really know what to think. We had already had two miscarriages, and we were more scared than anything that we could possibly lose these two.” 

Hopkins primarily saw board-certified perinatologist Perry Roussis, MD, who has delivered more than 10,000 babies – most of them considered high-risk pregnancies – throughout his career in Knoxville.

“Twin pregnancies have a complication rate much higher than a single pregnancy, and one of Mrs. Hopkins’ babies was much smaller than the other,” Dr. Roussis said. “So she needed to be followed very closely.” 

Dr. Roussis delivered Caroline and Oliver Hopkins by cesarean section at Fort Sanders Regional, just three weeks shy of their
due date. Caroline weighed 3 pounds, 12 ounces, and Oliver weighed 6 pounds, 4 ounces.

“I was awake for the C-section. It was the strangest sensation I’d ever had in my life, and it was amazing to hear them cry for the first
time,” Hopkins said.

A neonatologist and staff members from East Tennessee Children’s Hospital also were on hand for the birth. Located across from Fort Sanders Regional, ETCH has a neonatal intensive care unit for advanced medical care for newborns. The two hospitals are connected both physically and through a shared mission of caring for high-risk mothers and babies.

“They brought the babies to my room for a little while before they took them to Children’s Hospital,” said Hopkins. “I appreciated that more than anything else in the world, and I was able to visit them, too. It was so smooth, how well the two hospitals communicated with each other and were able to work together without any hiccups.”

The twins were in Children’s NICU for two weeks before they could go home.

“The relationship between Fort Sanders Regional and East Tennessee Children’s Hospital is interdependent and necessary for
a high-risk pregnancy,” said Dr. Roussis. “They work like one hospital when it comes to taking care of mothers and babies.”

“We got exceptional care at Fort Sanders Regional,” said Hopkins. “They took care of my husband, too, because he stayed with me for a few days.”

Today Caroline and Oliver are nearly a year old and healthy, Hopkins said.

“I would recommend Dr. Roussis and Fort Sanders Regional to anybody who needs prenatal care,” said Hopkins. “He took such good care of me! He is a really good provider. He wants to take care of his patients, to give them the best care he can.” 

Similar to the relationship between Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in caring for high-risk mothers and babies, Dr. Roussis said it is important for physician and mother to work together during pregnancy. He added, “It was a pleasure and an honor to take care of her babies.”

Award-Winning Care for Moms

BEST for Tennessee Babies Hospital (2019)

Fort Sanders was named a BEST for Tennessee Babies Hospital by the Tennessee Center for Patient Safety for achieving success in three areas critical to newborn health: breastfeeding, early elective delivery elimination, and safe sleep. The hospital met specific criteria required by the Tennessee Department of Health to receive the designation.