AdventHealth Ocala's Maternal Care Boosted by $4M DeLuca Gift

Thanks to the generosity of community donors and leadership of the AdventHealth Ocala Foundation, AdventHealth Ocala is set to expand and transform the hospital's mother/baby unit, creating new and innovative care options for patients and families. This expansion project, fully funded through local philanthropy,  will not only help keep mothers, babies and families from our communities close to home but also reduce the need for out-of-town hospital transfers. 

The expanded and renovated mother/baby unit will include:

• Private Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) spaces, providing privacy for families and a calming environment for babies, as well as cameras in both the NICU and post-birthing room, so families can see their babies at any time.   

• Wall computers in the rooms for real-time information and communication.  

• HALO BassiNests © in all rooms, promoting safe sleep for new parents and babies 

• Leading-edge electronic fetal monitoring, supported by AI, to create even better clinical outcomes for patients.  

• Specialized resources and equipment in mother/baby rooms, OB operating rooms and OB Emergency Department.  

• New welcome area for families

As the sole provider of labor and delivery services in the surrounding communities, The Baby Place® at AdventHealth Ocala supports nearly 2,500 births each year. Now, that team is committed to serving even more families and raising the standard of maternity care across the region.

“We are blessed by serving more and more mothers and families each year. While the unit has served patients well, a new, larger, technologically advanced mother/baby unit is needed,” said Erika Skula, president and CEO of AdventHealth Ocala. “Our vision ensures high quality, compassionate maternal health care to improve outcomes, bridge disparities and secure access for all mothers and babies.”

This project comes as the latest data from the Florida Department of Health shows our communities have a higher rate of babies born to mothers who didn’t receive prenatal care than the state’s overall average.

A $4 million lead gift from Frank and Angela DeLuca is helping to make this vision a reality.  Philanthropic supporters like the DeLucas are ensuring that AdventHealth Ocala is equipped to provide innovative, compassionate care for generations to come. The DeLucas' gift marks a major milestone in AdventHealth Ocala’s $8.5 million Delivering Our Future Campaign, which continues activating community support in bringing the full project to life.

“By providing exceptional birth experiences, clinical access and educational resources, we are hoping to help AdventHealth Ocala to support mothers in mind, body and spirit, empowering women and families to make our community a place where maternal health thrives,” Angela DeLuca said. "Having spent so many years working at this hospital, I’ve seen firsthand how deeply it touches the lives of families in our community. Frank and I are honored to support this next chapter that will bring comfort, innovation and care to mothers and babies across Ocala.”

"This is about more than just a building," added Frank DeLuca.  "It's about supporting families in our community and giving every baby a strong, health start in life.  Angela and I believe in this effort and we are inviting others to be a part of it."

AdventHealth team members cheer on Frank & Angela DeLuca.

This expansion project is currently in the design phase as the AdventHealth Ocala Foundation continues its capital campaign. A construction date has not been announced yet. For more information on mother and baby care at AdventHealth Ocala, click here.