Despite the challenges of COVID-19, ChristianaCare’s Center for Women’s & Children’s Health opened April 27, welcoming women and babies with a transformative new model of care and a beautiful new space that’s built for families. The project team includes HKS and Skanska.
The eight-story, roughly 400,000-square-foot tower is located on the campus of Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware. One of its most significant features is a neonatal intensive care unit, featuring private rooms with sleep-in space for families. It’s one of the only hospitals in the United States to provide “couplet care” in the NICU, keeping the mother and baby together even if they both require medical care. This is based on a European model demonstrating that moms are more likely to breastfeed in this environment, which is particularly important in the early development of children.
Other features include:
- New and expanded labor and delivery suites
- Private rooms for mothers and families after delivery
- Spacious, multi-level Ronald McDonald Room to support families with infants in intensive care
- Expanded OB/GYN emergency services area and new labor lounge
- Separate admitting and discharge areas
- Tranquil family rooftop garden
- Vibrant sibling play spaces with interactive displays and artwork, and open community spaces
The NICU is designed with sound-absorbing flooring, climate-controlled nursery alcoves and other amenities that create a calm, quiet and private place for families.
