From Bassinet to Bedside: How Rachel Troch Made It Back to GBMC’s NICU

Rachel Troch, MD, a neonatologist at GBMC HealthCare, enters the Labor & Delivery room of a new mother with a high-risk pregnancy who is about to meet her baby at just 34 weeks. The palpable fear of her premature delivery raises questions in her mind about the probability of care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Dr. Troch reads the questions on her patient’s face. She reassures her, sharing her own personal story.

In October 1990, Rachel’s mother, Kathy Troch, entered GBMC’s Labor & Delivery unit ready to deliver twins. With endometriosis prior to pregnancy and gestational diabetes during, Dr. Claire Weitz, former OB-GYN with Perinatal Associates at GBMC who specialized in high-risk pregnancies, had been following Kathy closely.

At 34 weeks, Kathy delivered Rachel and Sarah.

Rachel spent two weeks in GBMC’s NICU and Sarah, four. Kathy was a full-time caretaker, balancing her own recovery from a Cesarean section with taking care of two infants while her husband, Steve, was only able to take one week of vacation before he was back at work. Those weeks were stressful.

“I remember they would joke, ‘Here comes the milkman!’ because I was delivering milk twice a day,” Steve recalled. “Everyone was great—the staff and Dr. Claire Weitz. They took all the stress away. They understood exactly what to do and what we were going through.

"There was never any doubt about the girls being taken care of.”

“Everything was obviously new and scary at some points,” Kathy said, “but everybody was very confident, very caring. We were very happy with our time at GBMC.”

After their month in the NICU, the Troch family was back in Labor & Delivery one year later. While the third member of their trio of daughters, Katie, didn’t spend time in the NICU, the family continues to entrust GBMC with their care. They also give back to GBMC with donations and time.

Kathleen, the trio’s paternal grandmother, volunteered in Spiritual Support Services at GBMC for 22 years, visiting patient rooms every Thursday to offer communion.

“I just love them all. They're wonderful girls,” Kathleen said. “They are dedicated to their jobs and are outstanding people.”

No one in the family is surprised the girls ended up in the careers they did.

“Rachel knew she wanted to be a pediatrician from a young age,” Kathy said. “She was always one to take care of the babies. Sarah (presently a Lieutenant Commander and professional engineer in the U.S. Coast Guard) was the one who would take apart something and try to put it back together. And Katie had a list of other aspirations, and after achieving a master's degree in library science, became a library system branch manager, which was definitely her calling.”

“I have always loved pediatrics and pediatric patients, and I knew I wanted to become a neonatologist,” Dr. Troch said. “I knew I wanted to practice locally, and I got lucky at the right place at the right time when the job opened at GBMC. I’m very grateful to work here. I love our team, the patients, and the workflow. It’s great.”

One in 10 babies is born prematurely, but for many families it's a first-time experience. Having an expert with medical and personal experience adds a layer of relief and confidence for new families.

“This is a whole new experience full of lots of different emotions and it can be really scary for a lot of families because they don't know what's going to happen,” Dr. Troch said. “It helps build trust in the hospital itself that I was born here, and I'll tell families my baby was born here, too.”

Dr. Troch gave birth to a full-term baby girl in December 2023. Although her daughter didn’t need NICU care, the experience enhanced her empathy for the mothers she assists.

“I’m trying to live out our vision statement – to provide the care we would want for our own loved ones.”

Dr. Troch’s unique blend of three perspectives—patient, mother, and physician—helps to create a special connection with her patients and makes families feel comfortable with their baby’s temporary home.