CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The obstetrical services unit at CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital unveiled more family-friendly delivery and postpartum rooms Monday on the 25th anniversary of the hospital.
The $2 million renovation project began in November 2011 and crews finished up just days ago.
Denise Burgess, the director of obstetrical services, said the new rooms are more comfortable and soothing than what moms previously experienced when giving birth. All rooms were made private and designed to with soft colors and dampened noise levels.
“We think all those things combined makes this a less hectic environment. It’s very quiet here now,” said Burgess.
In the old rooms at Women and Children’s only two people were allowed to visit mom and baby at a time. That policy has changed so that as many people as the mom wants can visit. There are chairs that turn into beds so fathers or other family members can stay overnight. Burgess stressed hospital officials want the time at the facility to be special for mom and baby.
“The birthing experience is the most intimate time in a family’s life and we want to be able to accommodate that,” she said.
Even though all the rooms are now private, the unit didn’t lose any patient space, in fact it gained some. There are 13 labor and delivery rooms and 31 postpartum rooms. The construction crew working on the unit would remodel three to four rooms at a time. After they were finished, Burgess says the hospital was able to put the new rooms into use. So far they’re getting all kinds of positive feedback from new families.
“We’re hearing things like, ‘I love these new rooms’ and ‘I delivered here four years ago and this is so much nicer than having a roommate,'” Burgess said.
Another plus of the renovation is that all the rooms are self-contained. Any equipment or supplies needed during and after birth are stored in each room so that everything is within arm’s reach of doctors and nurses.
The hospital invited several dozen people to tour the renovated unit Monday morning.