Mt. Eaton Care Center celebrates 40 years of serving the Plain Community

For four decades Holmes County’s Amish and Mennonite community has been relying on the staff at Mt. Eaton Care Center.

Mt. Eaton Care Center celebrated its 40th anniversary Sept. 25 from 3-7 p.m., inviting the public to join the staff, parents who have utilized the center for birthing purposes and even some of the infants who have grown into adulthood over the years who were born at the facility.

Linda Elder, director of nursing, said celebrating with the community is an important way to share the center’s vision and show people their updated facility, but most importantly, she said it is a chance to connect with people and build relationships.

“This is a team effort, and all of the pieces are in place for us to be successful,” Elder said. “I firmly believe that God has his hand on the care center and for those who put their trust in us.”

That trust is evident in the 40 years the center has been delivering, in every sense of the word, and Elder said the quality of care the staff provides is the most important part of the equation.

“I couldn’t ask for a better staff, and we have been blessed with such professional, passionate women. It’s always exciting to see mothers and the children who have been born here return, which is a big part of the celebration,” Elder said. “I think one of the neat things that happens here is there becomes this sense of family and unity once a family delivers a baby here.”

Nolan Byler continues to serve as the medical director for the center, something he has done for many years.

The center started 40 years ago under the guidance of Dr. Elton Lehman, who created the center and practiced family medicine for 40 years in Mount Eaton, offering a caring environment for his patients and staff.

The center has delivered roughly 14,500 babies since opening in 1985, an astounding number considering the center only serves Amish and Mennonite clientele. The staff remains committed to not only prenatal, labor and delivery, but also caring for the mothers postpartum.

The staff has 10 registered nurses, with at least one on staff 24 hours a day. When the time comes for a baby to be delivered, they bring in either a licensed practitioner nurse or one of several emergency medical technicians they trust.

The center’s mission remains firmly entrenched in providing birth care for the Anabaptist families in the area. She said committing to that creates a sense of safety and comfort in an atmosphere designed to emulate the home, right down to the décor of each private room.

For 40 years the center has provided that sense of care and compassion as an alternative to delivering in hospitals or homes.

Mt. Eaton Care Center is an exempt birthing center, meaning it can only take members who are named in the bylaws, which is the Plain Community.

The staff also is focused on faith, and with the Plain People, that is a very important component.

“There are times when our staff will ask a mother or family if they’d like us to pray with them,” Elder said. “We pray as hard and sincerely as we can pray because we believe that is very important to our clients.”

The recently remodeled facility has been updated and modernized to allow for a more fulfilling, relaxing experience for mothers and family members, including the installation of cutting-edge bathing and birthing tubs.

According to Elder, the donations from the community go a long way in providing professional care and refined facilities that make for the best possible experience for its clientele.

With monthly childbirth classes focusing on what to expect in labor, early labor at home, relaxation tips, breathing techniques, supportive roles of spouses and breastfeeding, the educational part of the center is as important as the birthing center’s activity during deliveries.

The anniversary celebration was created to build a sense of community and unity and reunite families and friends with the staff.

The various scrapbooks, photos and memorabilia along with the stories told brought back many memories for those who attended, and Elder said with God’s grace, they will celebrate in the same spirit in another 40 years, because when it comes to ushering a new life into this world, there is nothing more precious.

For more information on Mt. Eaton Care Center, call 330-359-5493.