Special Delivery and Recognition Marks Last Day

The first time Kathy Savosik stepped into a labor and delivery room she was terrified. She had seen videos in nursing school of what to expect, but when that expectant mother walked through the door she started to wonder what she got herself into.

Savosik helped deliver that first baby without a problem and she liked it so much she delivered thousands more over her 38-year career. The longtime Winchester Hospital nurse retired in November, welcoming her last newborn, a boy, into the world on Nov. 11.

“It was always exciting and joyful to see a new baby born,” Savosik said. “I think I’ll miss that the most. I never knew when a delivery was going to occur or how many patients I was going to see in a day.”

In her nearly four decade career, Savosik has seen maternity trends come and go – from mothers being completely medicated to the natural birth phase to epidurals and comfort measures to the increasing use of therapeutic tubs. But the one constant has always been Winchester Hospital and her colleagues in the Labor & Delivery unit.

“I had the good fortune of working with an amazing group of people,” Savosik said. “I don’t know if I would have stayed all those years if it wasn’t such a wonderful place to work.”

Through the years, Savosik has became known for her calming effect on patients, and her final patient – Kristin Veillette – made a point to thank Savosik for all she did during her delivery.

“She was very professional and a great coach in the delivery room,” the new mother said. “Being a first time mom I was pretty nervous, but Kathy was able to calm me down.”

Savosik was honored recently by her colleagues at the Woburn Country Club for her years of service to the hospital. She was also recognized with a Grateful Patient gift, which allows patients or family members to honor caregivers who have gone above and beyond in their care. To find out more about the Grateful Patient Program, you can email foundation@winhosp.org.

“We were very lucky to have someone as compassionate, caring and talented as Kathy in our department for so long,” said Sue Petrosino, nurse manager of Winchester Hospital’s Labor & Delivery. “She was an excellent caregiver to patients and will be greatly missed.”

About Winchester Hospital

Winchester Hospital delivers nearly 2,000 babies each year and offers education and support services that provide mothers and babies with the specialized care they need before, during and after pregnancy and birth. Winchester Hospital is the first hospital in Massachusetts to earn Magnet® recognition, the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s highest honor for nursing excellence, three times. As the northwest suburban Boston area’s leading provider of comprehensive health care services, the 229-bed facility provides care in general, bariatric and vascular surgery, orthopedics, cardiology, pulmonary medicine, oncology, radiation oncology, gastroenterology, urology, gynecologic urology, rehabilitation, pain management, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics and a Level IIB Special Care Nursery. Winchester Hospital has clinical affiliations with several nationally recognized hospitals in the region, including Boston Children’s Hospital, Tufts Medical Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. To learn more, visit www.winchesterhospital.org.