OTTAWA, Kan. — AdventHealth Ottawa is pleased to announce it welcomed the first baby born in 2026 at the AdventHealth Ottawa Family Birth Place.
Mateo, a boy, was born to Naveah and Michael, of Ottawa, KS, on January 1, 2026, at 3:40 pm weighing 6lbs and 11oz and measuring at 19.5 inches. Mateo was welcomed into the world under the care of Dr. Abney and the labor and delivery team.
In celebration of this special occasion, the AdventHealth Ottawa Foundation presented a monetary gift to the family as part of its commitment to supporting new beginnings in our community.
This marks the first time in 3 years that AdventHealth Ottawa has welcomed the first baby of the New Year at the Family Birth Place. After temporarily closing in 2023, the AdventHealth Ottawa Family Birth Place reopened on September 22, 2025, with a fully staffed labor and delivery team, bringing about the much-anticipated return of labor and delivery services to Franklin County and surrounding counties.
Since then, expecting families have been able to welcome their babies closer to home under the watchful care of Bridget Abney, MD, OB/GYN, Raven Weiss, MD, Family Medicine/Obstetrics, Haley Lowell, MD, Family Medicine/Obstetrics, and a dedicated Family Birth Place staff.
AdventHealth Ottawa is proud to have brought back labor and delivery services to Franklin County and surrounding counties in a time when maternity deserts across the United States are on the rise in rural communities. During the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Family Birth Place in August 2025, AdventHealth Ottawa President and CEO Brendan Johnson shared: “AdventHealth Ottawa worked diligently to resume these critical services through deliberate and thoughtful recruiting efforts, even with the challenging hiring environment facing rural communities. We are overjoyed to be delivering on our promise to support patient and family needs in this region.”