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Washington Health System (WHS) recently announced that the first phase of the new CARE Center for Family Birth and Women’s Health, inside WHS Washington Hospital, is complete. Patients were moved onto the postpartum and recovery side of the unit on Sept 3rd, 2019.

2019 Ribbon Cutting for the new CARE Center for Family Birth and Women’s Health

For a year and a half, WHS sat down regularly with community members and parents who’d recently had babies, at WHS or elsewhere. The intent of the focus groups was to help hospital leaders better understand what new or prospective parents thought of their hospital experienceand how our new OB unit could give parents the best experience possible. In addition to parents, we also met regularly with staff and physicians to get their feedback on how we could make the unit function better. All of this feedback shaped the blueprint for the CARE Center for Family Birth and Women’s Health.

“We decided that if we were going to make this investment in our hospital and our community, we wanted to get it right,” says Leslie Gostic, MSN, RNC-MNN, CBC, Nurse Manager of the CARE Center for Family Birth and Women’s Health. “Who better to listen to than patients, our community members and staff?”

The first phase of construction included 13 large and spacious postpartum and recovery rooms for obstetrics patients as well as patients having gynecological surgeries. The new postpartum rooms are larger than before and have a hotel or spa like feel. They include a family nook for eating or other activities, a convertible couch/bed for the significant other, a spacious modern looking bathroom, USB ports in the wall units, an extra privacy curtain for mom to breastfeed which allows visitors to stay in the room and so much more.

This portion of the renovation also included a new family lounge with a virtual fish tank, a Family Hospitality Nook - featuring snacks and beverages for family members, a new nursery including a level 2 special care nursery, and a new lobby, all located on the fifth floor.

The second phase of the construction is expected to be complete in just a few months. This section will include the labor and delivery rooms, the physician’s on-call area, and the C-section room, all located on the same floor. For patients delivering in the next few months, we want to reassure them that they will not notice the construction.

The $7 million, 22,000-squarefoot project began in the fall of 2018 and our generous donors assisted with $5 million of the construction costs.

“As other hospitals close their obstetrics department, we are so proud to continue to offer this service to our community. This will also ensure that women and families in Washington, Greene and surrounding counties will be able to receive care close to home,” said Brook Ward, President and CEO of Washington Health System.

(Photo above right)
2019 Ribbon Cutting for the new CARE Center for Family Birth and Women’s Health. Pictured (L to R): Rodney Louk, Executive VP/COO/CIO, Washington Health System; Thomas Northrop, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Washington Health System; Brook Ward, President and CEO, Washington Health System; Ami Andy Hillebrand, Co-Chair for the Families Begin Here, WHS Capital Campaign; Kathryn Simons, MD Divisions Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology, WHS and Co-Chair for the Families Begin Here, WHS Capital Campaign; Jean Cline President, WHS Washington Hospital Auxiliary; Meg Steele, Gift Shop Manager, WHS Washington Hospital Auxiliary; Larry Maggi Chairman, Washington County Commissioner; Janet Trozzi, Past President, WHS Washington Hospital Auxiliary; Terry Wiltrout, President, WHS Greene and VP of Operations, Washington Health System.

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