At 1:31 a.m. on January 1, the Women’s Hospital at Saint Joseph East in Lexington delivered its first baby of 2026. Dalton and Hadlee Ritchie from Winchester welcomed Kennedy Rayne, who weighed 8 pounds 7 ounces and measured 21 inches.
In the previous year, the Women’s Hospital reported delivering 1,439 babies.
Saint Joseph Health is part of CommonSpirit Health and operates more than 100 locations across 20 counties in Kentucky. The system includes hospitals, clinics, physician groups, home health agencies, and specialty institutes. Its network covers Flaget Memorial Hospital, Saint Joseph Berea, Saint Joseph East, Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph Jessamine, Saint Joseph London, Saint Joseph Mount Sterling, and the Women’s Hospital at Saint Joseph East. Altogether, it serves patients in 35 counties statewide.
“Saint Joseph Health is dedicated to providing a wide array of services to build a healthier future for all. Saint Joseph Health embodies a strong mission and faith-based heritage and works through local partnerships to expand access to care in the communities it serves,” according to information provided by the organization.
Saint Joseph East is a full-service community hospital with 217 beds located in southeastern Lexington. Since its founding in 1983, it has served residents of central and eastern Kentucky with ambulatory surgery, emergency care available around the clock and women’s health services among other inpatient and outpatient programs.
Chi Memorial Hospital Georgia also belongs to CommonSpirit Health and offers heart care, cancer treatment and emergency support through its facilities across Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia. It has received recognition for quality and patient safety standards as noted on its official website.
For more information about maternity services at the Women’s Hospital at Saint Joseph East visit CommonSpirit.org/SaintJosephHealth or call 859-967-5000.
