For Jordan Wheeler, a member of the human resources team at TriStar Summit Medical Center, choosing where to deliver her first baby was easy.
"As a longtime colleague at TriStar Summit, I had always heard such wonderful things about our Labor and Delivery team," Jordan said. "I knew I was going to get excellent care."
After a long and emotional journey through IVF, Jordan and her husband eagerly awaited the arrival of their daughter, Tatum. When the day finally came, the experience exceeded every expectation.
"Our delivery experience was everything I could have hoped for — peaceful, calm and incredibly supportive," Jordan recalled. "Every person on our care team made us feel safe and cared for."
Nurses Josh and Kylie left a lasting impression, providing the warmth, support and clinical expertise Jordan needed as she and her husband focused on meeting the baby they had waited so long to hold.
Soon after Tatum’s birth, a nurse noticed something that warranted additional evaluation. As a precaution, doctors determined that Tatum had likely ingested blood during delivery and would benefit from a higher level of neonatal care. The TriStar Summit team quickly coordinated her transfer to the neonatal intensive care unit at TriStar Centennial Children’s Hospital.
For Jordan, that moment showed the strength of being connected to a broader system of care. While TriStar Summit provided a safe, supportive delivery experience close to home, TriStar Centennial Children’s Hospital was ready to provide advanced neonatal care when Tatum needed it most. Together, the teams helped ensure Tatum received the right care, in the right setting, without delay.
"As first-time parents, an ambulance ride for our newborn was certainly never part of our plans," Jordan said. "Watching her being prepared for transport was terrifying. In that moment, we just desperately wanted reassurance that our baby was going to be okay."
When Jordan and her husband arrived at TriStar Centennial, they were overwhelmed and frightened. But once again, their little family quickly found comfort in the team waiting for them, ready to care like family.
"What I remember most is feeling overwhelmed and terrified, but also immediately aware that Tatum was in very capable hands," Jordan said.
One nurse in particular, Michelle White, became an unforgettable part of Tatum’s story. As Tatum’s first day-shift nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit, Michelle brought a calming presence, clear communication and steady reassurance during an uncertain time.
"She was transparent and realistic while always taking the time to make sure we understood what was happening," said Jordan.
Michelle’s compassion also helped create a memory Jordan’s family will treasure forever. At the time of Tatum’s birth, Jordan’s mother-in-law was battling pancreatic cancer. Because of neonatal intensive care unit visitor restrictions, Jordan was not sure she would be able to meet her granddaughter.
When Jordan shared the situation, Michelle immediately understood how much the visit would mean. She coordinated a special exception, prepared the room, made sure Tatum was fed, comfortable and swaddled, and even had a chair waiting. She helped the family settle in, took photos of the moment and then quietly gave them privacy.
"The respect and dignity shown during this time were incredible," Jordan said.
Not long after, Jordan's mother-in-law passed away. Today, those photographs are among the family’s most meaningful keepsakes.
"It simply would not have happened without Michelle,
" Jordan said. "My mother-in-law has since passed away, and that memory is now one of the most meaningful gifts we have from that season."
As both a colleague and a patient, Jordan said the experience gave her a deeper appreciation for the care teams she had long admired.
"Working on the administrative side, I hear about the incredible work our teams do every day," she said. "But experiencing it as a patient and a parent provides an entirely different perspective."
Tatum’s story reinforces the value of coordinated care across TriStar Health. From labor and delivery at TriStar Summit to specialized neonatal care at TriStar Centennial, Jordan saw teams working together with the shared goal of helping her daughter get the care she needed while supporting the whole family along the way.
"This experience showed me that the culture of care across TriStar is not limited to one facility or one department," she said. “From TriStar Summit to TriStar Centennial, we felt supported, informed and cared for every step of the way.”
Today, Tatum is a happy, healthy six-month-old. For Jordan and her family, Tatum’s birth proved what she already believed as a colleague and now knows as a mother.
"We will always be deeply grateful for the care that helped get her here," she said. "We will never forget the people who cared for her and cared for us during one of the most uncertain times of our lives."