In late July, construction began on the expansion of Women & Babies Hospital. Home to the county’s only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Women & Babies Hospital has delivered more than 30,000 babies since opening its doors in June of 2000.

 

We also provide women with comprehensive health services including lab testing, diagnostic imaging, and inpatient and outpatient surgery. In recent years, however, it’s become necessary to address the need for a bigger facility, more patient beds and other changes to accommodate our growing patient population.

 

 

Dr. Charles A. (Tony) Castle, Senior V.P. of Women & Babies Hospital, describes the planning behind the hospital expansion. “The expansion provides us with a wonderful opportunity to meet the needs of our moms and families,” he explains. “We really took the time to design the expansion of the facility with patients and staff in mind.”

 

From the outset, staff from all units were brought together to meet with the architects so they could understand and address the needs of the nurses, technicians and healthcare providers who are caring for patients. Details such as the placement of oxygen and electrical outlets in rooms were considered. We even invited former patients to participate in focus groups so patient needs could be addressed as well.

 

One of the first units to be addressed will be the triage area. Triage is where urgent patient needs are assessed, such as a woman in labor or a patient with a serious OB/GYN condition. Six triage beds will be added to the expanded unit, along with a separate triage waiting area and a new registration desk for triage and day surgery.

 

Our NICU will also be expanded, with eight new beds added, bringing the total capacity to 29. New
family bonding areas will be built in the NICU, giving new mothers a comfortable place to breastfeed their
babies, when able. After giving birth, new mothers stay in couplet care rooms in the Family Pavilion. A two-story addition will be built to house eleven new couplet care rooms, two nurseries and a larger pharmacy with twice the capacity of the existing one. The new couplet care rooms were designed with the comfort and convenience of the families in mind. Rooms will feature built-in cabinetry and comfortable roll-out beds for fathers or family members.

 

Patient feedback will continue to play a role in the expansion process. Dr. Castle explains, “Two couplet
care rooms have had makeovers that were completed in mid-September. Over the next few months, we will be asking patients who stay in those rooms for their feedback and suggestions. If changes are in order, they will be incorporated into the new rooms.” Plans are in the works to refurbish all of the original couplet rooms once the new construction is complete.

 

During construction, patient safety has been a top priority. Patient areas have been sealed off from construction areas for infection control, and even the air quality is monitored 24/7 to ensure the highest level of quality and compliance with environmental and infection control standards.