Celebrating PRIDE month with a growing family
As we celebrate PRIDE Month alongside our LGBTQ+ colleagues, we’re sharing the experience of HCA Florida Healthcare nurse, Yoiris Varela-Mora. Yoiris and her partner, Liz, welcomed their first child this year at HCA Florida Mercy Hospital.
At HCA Florida Healthcare we believe that exceptional healthcare is built on a foundation of inclusion, compassion and respect for our patients and each other. As one of the largest healthcare providers in the state, we’ve welcomed over 32,000 newborns in the past year. That’s a birth every 17 minutes. We’ve been honored to be a part of so many pregnancy and postpartum journeys and take pride in supporting the diversity of our patients’ and colleagues’ family compositions.
As we celebrate PRIDE Month alongside our LGBTQ+ colleagues, we’re sharing the experience of HCA Florida Healthcare nurse, Yoiris Varela-Mora. Yoiris and her partner, Liz, welcomed their first child this year at HCA Florida Mercy Hospital.
Meet Yoiris, a nurse manager with HCA Florida Healthcare
Yoiris’ career with HCA Healthcare spans over 17 years. She currently works at HCA Florida Mercy Hospital as the nurse manager for the emergency department and, Yoiris shares, “it's been a rewarding journey filled with opportunities to make a meaningful impact on people's lives."
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Yoiris has "had a very positive experience. It is a supportive and inclusive environment where healthcare colleagues are encouraged to grow, learn, and excel. We all accept one another as we welcome and embrace our differences. The organization's emphasis on patient safety and employee well-being aligns with my values, making it a great fit for me personally and professionally."
For Yoiris and her partner, choosing to have their baby at HCA Florida Mercy Hospital was a significant decision. "It was important for us to have our baby where I work because the culture we have cultivated is unparalleled to any other place I have worked in the past. The staff truly treat and care for each other as if we are family," said Yoiris.
Welcoming a baby with HCA Florida Healthcare
At HCA Florida Healthcare, we understand that every pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum experience is unique. For Yoiris and Liz, their "pregnancy journey took a while,” they shared. “We are both so happy we never gave up. Our baby girl, Olive, was conceived via IVF," and they had a birth plan to welcome their daughter into the world via an unmedicated vaginal delivery.
Despite being a healthcare provider herself, Yoiris acknowledged that as first-time moms they found the whole labor and delivery experience nerve-wracking. This is especially true since Olive’s birth didn’t go as planned.
Olive was in a "sunny side up" position, which complicated the vaginal delivery. The couple’s obstetrician ultimately recommended a c-section to safely deliver the baby. Despite having to pivot from their desired natural birth experience, the couple “felt complete confidence and trust in their care team,” shared Yoiris. The obstetric (OB) nurses “were exceptional throughout the process,” she continued. “We never felt any different” than any other family welcoming a newborn. Once Olive arrived, Yoiris went on, the nurse continued to help “put me at ease and they showed me everything we needed to learn in caring for our daughter.”
As a same-sex couple, Yoiris and Liz found their experience to be inclusive and respectful. "Being a same-sex couple, we were treated with the utmost respect. Our quality of care was top-tier. These experiences stand out because the healthcare providers demonstrated cultural competence, treated me with dignity and respect, and addressed my healthcare needs as if we were family."
Healthcare as unique as you
At HCA Florida Healthcare we know your healthcare preferences are as unique as you. Our patient-centered focus means our colleagues work together to provide options to support a variety of birth preferences, from natural pain relief methods to the latest technology and advancements, all while ensuring you and your baby stay healthy throughout labor and delivery.