EVANSTON — Due to the hard work and perseverance of two local midwives, Marie Adams and Jana Hartzell, pregnant women in Uinta County will no longer have to drive an hour or more to safely deliver their baby. Adams and Hartzell have opened a pre-natal and birthing center at 625 Front St., in Evanston, and named it Mountain Heart Birth Center.

They hope to fill the gap left after Evanston Regional Hospital closed its labor and delivery department a month ago.

“A certified nurse midwife, Jessica Bartlett who works at the Ogden Birth Center, will be coming here once a month to meet with clients,” Adams said. “She is certified both in Wyoming and Utah and is able to write any necessary prescriptions for clients. She will also provide backup midwife services. We have established good relationships with several ob-gyns in Utah in order to refer any patient that is high risk or needs more advanced services.”

Adams and Hartzell held a small open house on Friday, Jan. 24, to provide the public with a tour of the building and to answer any questions about their services. Adams said they had given members from Public Health and Evanston Child Development Center (ECDC) a tour of the building earlier and will coordinate with both agencies’ young mothers’ programs.

The Mountain Heart Birth Center’s rooms are painted in bright and cheerful colors. There is a small pre-natal counseling room; a waiting room; a small room designed as a children’s play area; a kitchen and laundry facilities; bathroom with full shower facilities; and a large birthing room with a queen size bed and a birthing pool beside it.

The second floor is still being remodeled for more private birthing rooms.

Adams and Hartzell said they plan to have a grand opening sometime in the spring when the weather is warmer and the second floor is finished. They are currently open for business Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hartzell can be reached at 307-679-9965 and Adams at 307-679-0291.