ASK A PATIENT: Lisa Rockefeller
Walk to the hospital to have your baby? Sure, if the hospital is Tufts Medical Center
Most women might want to take a cab or drive to the hospital when they were in labor, but not Lisa Rockefeller. Lisa, a senior marketing manager at EnerNOC, an energy management company in the Innovation District, and husband Ned Sebelius, an attorney at a downtown firm, love walking throughout the city from their Beacon Hill home. That made Tufts Medical Center a great choice for them when they started to plan their family, but it wasn’t the only reason. Lisa was familiar with the hospital thanks to her mom, health care lawyer Regina Rockefeller, a long-time Tufts MC patient. On Ned’s side of the family, his mother Kathleen Sebelius is the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. Their new son George has some real alpha-grandmas to look up to!
Q: Why did you choose Tufts Medical Center for your OB care?
A: I already had a wonderful relationship with Dr. Brian Cohen, my primary care physician at Tufts Medical Center. So when Ned and I started thinking about having a baby, Dr. Cohen referred us to the Women’s Care practice. We felt at home right away. Such a warm, positive energy to the place, and a much calmer atmosphere than we saw at other hospitals. We were paired with Dr. Laura Baecher-Lind and clicked from our first conversation. She was an amazing counselor through the whole experience.
Tufts fit our lifestyle too. Convenient location. Flexible appointments And having a NICU and expert medical center behind us, just in case, was a huge comfort.
Q: How was your birth experience at Tufts Medical Center?
A: From the moment we walked in, there was a level of care and consistency that we really appreciated. Everyone knew our story. We didn’t have to start from scratch every time a doctor or nurse came into the room. The whole experience was so relaxed that it made me relax. It felt like we were getting special treatment, even though it’s the care everyone receives.
George was born on August 5, 2012, four days late. I’ve heard horror stories from friends at other hospitals who felt like they were on the clock the moment they showed up. But there was no rush at Tufts. No pressure for medical intervention. They took time with us. They kept us informed. They supported our desire for a natural childbirth and we had all the options we needed. Everyone was focused on the baby and me, but I felt like a normal person—not a medical patient.
Because I had such great care, I felt refreshed and ready for life as a new mom by the time we left. Back to the convenience factor: We walked to the hospital for the birth. We even grabbed a slice of pizza on the way home!
Q: And now your son’s pediatrician is at Tufts Medical Center?
A: Yes, Dr. Mary Brown. She’s great. George just had his one-year check-up, but of course she’s had him since birth. We really wanted a medical center that we could stay with as a family. The whole process of being in this integrated health system—Pratt Diagnostic Center for primary care, then OB, and now pediatric care at Tufts Medical Center—has been seamless. They’ve supported us every step of the way.
Q: What do you like about raising a family in Beacon Hill?
A: Beacon Hill feels like a small town in the city. We’re close to our neighbors. People sit out on their steps at night. When George was born, he was the celebrity on our block. Everyone was so excited. It’s a compact community so we have everything we need right here—and Tufts Medical Center is just an extension of that community.
