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May 23 brought a special delivery to the Labor and Delivery unit at East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital—not only for the mother, but also for the baby’s great uncle, hospital CEO Hector Hernandez.

Nicole Topete delivered a healthy baby boy at 6:22 a.m. While this was Topete’s firstborn, the baby was not the first in the family to be born at the ������ hospital.

Topete herself was born there. That was the key reason she wanted her baby born at East LA.

“My mom had me here,” Topete said. “The hospital gave me confidence to have my baby here because of the quality care my mother received.”

Hernandez reports that the new mom gave a positive review of the care she received.

“She told me, ‘I never expected this kind of treatment. I know you are my uncle, but all the nurses made me feel safe and confident everything was going to be okay,’” Hernadez relayed. “She also said the doctor – Dr. Baggot — especially made her feel safe.”

During her pregnancy, Topete took a break from her work in commercial modeling and plans to return after a period of adjustment to parenthood for herself and husband Ivan Frias. The family lives in Chula Vista, CA.

Hernandez added that community and physician outreach efforts are accelerating to attract more moms-to-be to the hospital for their deliveries.

“East LA Doctors Hospital has delivered babies for decades,” he said, “and we want more families to know about the quality care we offer with compassion.”

Delivering a Legacy

Editor’s Note: Following are the words of East LA Doctor’s Hospital CEO Hector Hernandez as he reflected on the May 23 special delivery.

Twenty-five years ago, my niece’s daughter was born at our hospital, where I have dedicated so much of my professional life. At that time, I was already walking through these halls, deeply committed to serving this community with compassion and excellence.Now, a quarter of a century later, that same little girl, now a woman, returned to our hospital not as a patient herself—but as a mother. On May 23, she delivered a beautiful baby, and with that, a new generation of our family began its journey, right here within the very walls where hers once began.

This moment is more than sentimental. It reaffirms what our hospitals stand for: continuity, trust, and the profound privilege of being present at life’s most significant milestones. To see our hospital not just as a place of work, but as a place where my own family’s story continues to unfold, fills me with pride, humility, and a renewed sense of purpose.

To the doctors, nurses, and staff who made Nicole’s experience safe and joyful—thank you. You didn’t just deliver a baby. You delivered a legacy.

6.11.2025