Baptist Health has partnered with maternal and fetal care technology company, PeriGen, to launch a centralized "OB Hub" across its seven delivery hospitals, which care for over 6,600 babies annually.
The OB Hub uses PeriGen’s AI-driven PeriWatch Vigilance technology to provide an extra layer of protection for mom and baby much like an air traffic control tower for mom and baby. From this central location, experienced labor and delivery nurses continuously monitor patients alongside bedside staff, tracking:
-The baby’s heart rate
-The mother’s vital signs
-Contractions
-Labor progression
Baptist Health offers labor and delivery services at its hospitals in Arkadelphia, Conway, El Dorado, Little Rock, Monticello, North Little Rock, and Stuttgart.
The AI system constantly reviews patient data and alerts the bedside team if any of the ranges they are monitoring fall outside safety limits. The technology does not replace doctors or nurses. Instead, it acts as a continuous "second set of eyes," ensuring mothers and babies are safely monitored even when bedside nurses may need to step away for supplies, medications or other patients.
Nicki Knowles, director of women’s and children’s at Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock, emphasized that this additional support is invaluable during busy shifts or obstetric emergencies. The PeriGen system also enables care teams to securely view patient data on mobile devices and automatically alerts hospital leaders to persistent concerns.