Pennsylvania Hospital Opens Philadelphia's First All-Private Maternity Suite Unit

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Newswise PHILADELPHIA After three years of renovations and new construction,Pennsylvania HospitalofPenn Medicinewill unveil its newWell Mother & Baby Uniton February 26. The hospital, where nearly 5,000 babies are delivered each year the most in the City of Philadelphia will now offer three full floors of all private rooms dedicated solely to new mothers and their newborns.

The opening of the new unit is part of Pennsylvania Hospitals (PAH) $61 million long-range facility master plan. Pennsylvania Hospital has a long history as a premier hospital for obstetrical services in Philadelphia, so were really excited to expand our offerings by providing private rooms to all of our maternity patients, saidR. Michael Buckley, MD,the hospitals executive director.

PAH is the first hospital in the City of Philadelphia to offer all private maternity suites. Mothers and their babies progress to Well Mother & Baby private rooms following their labor and delivery. Each new suite offers contemporary and comfortable furniture, soft colors, subdued lighting, a flat screen television, and a spacious restroom layout with an open shower stall. New suites also include a full-sized convertible sofa sleeper to provide overnight accommodations for a family member or friend, combination safes to secure personal belongings, and charging stations for mobile devices.

The new postpartum units complement PAH'sLabor & Deliveryunit, which also offers private, rooms, includingbirthing suitesfor women seeking natural and low-intervention childbirth experiences.

In planning for the new private rooms, hospital administrators sought feedback from hospital staff, physicians, and patients through design sessions, mock-up room tours, and surveys. Through this vital feedback, we were able to create a patient room that provides the best experience for patients, staff, and visitors alike from a safety, ergonomic, and aesthetic perspective, Buckley said.

The new Well Mother & Baby Unit was tailored to meet the needs of all families. A Well Baby Nursery is centrally located on the unit, as well as convenient waiting areas for family and friends. There are also specially designated rooms for adoptive families and families whose babies are born via gestational carriers.

The new private maternity rooms also help support PAHs and Penn Medicines commitment to theBaby-Friendly Hospital Initiative(BFHI). The BFHI is a global effort supported by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Surgeon General, and the American Academy of Pediatrics to improve the care of pregnant women, mothers, and infants by ensuring all mothers have the information they need to make the best infant feeding decisions and by providing the help they need to meet their feeding goals.

A private room environment will enhance the rooming in experience and facilitate moms and babies staying together. While we will always have an in-unit nursery to provide additional support to new mothers who need it, we fully encourage rooming in, saidJack Ludmir, MD, chair of the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at PAH and vice chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Penns Perelman School of Medicine. The new rooms will support patients wishes for privacy and help us to provide the best total obstetric experience from delivery to discharge.

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Pennsylvania Hospital Opens Philadelphia's First All-Private Maternity Suite Unit