Renovations to CARE Center for Family Birth, Women’s Health Transform Environment of Care

Working closely with hospital staff, patients and community members, DesignGroup recently led a 22,000-square-foot renovation of the labor and delivery and postpartum wings at Washington Hospital, a part of Washington Health System in Washington, Pennsylvania. The renovations to the CARE Center for Family Birth and Women’s Health transformed the environment of care for a unit that hadn’t been remodeled in more than 20 years.

The project included an upgrade to the existing Level 1 well-newborn nursery and integration of a new Level 2 continuing care nursery, which allows mothers and babies who need additional care to stay in the same facility. Improvements to the labor and delivery area included upgrades to patient and staff flow with the reconfiguration of triage and staff program areas, along with improvements to the patient care rooms to support the quality services provided by staff.

The postpartum wing included improvements to 13 patient care rooms, including enlarging seven rooms to better accommodate families and to allow each new mother access to a spacious bathroom and added amenities. Each room includes a separate nook where family and visitors can gather, complete with dining areas and comfortable furniture to extend their visit. A dedicated family pantry serves families during their visit to the unit.

The design also brought two teams of staff together through one enlarged, collaborative nurse station at the focus of the path of travel, which enhances wayfinding for visitors and family members as they move through the space.

Waller Corporation served as general contractor.

Photos © Cory Klein Photography.