Luxurious suites with large picture windows. Whirlpool tubs and comfortable recliners. Water sculptures and delicate moons and stars etched into the ceiling.

No, this isn't a five-star resort. It's the Women's and Children's Center at Danville Regional Medical Center now open.

"It's quite a transformation," says Chris Hackler, RN, department director for the Women's and Children's Center. "We've created an environment that is relaxing and soothing for new moms and families. All the medical technology is here, but it's packaged in an aesthetic way with all the comforts of home."

The fourth floor renovation, which has taken 10 months to complete, adds seven new labor/delivery/recovery (LDR) rooms which allow new moms to deliver their babies in a homelike setting. It also features a 20-bassinet nursery, and 15 rooms for post-delivery and surgical patients. A 12-bed pediatric unit occupies one wing and was designed with child-friendly features such as moons and stars on the ceiling and a bubble window in the playroom for visual interest.

"Our goal for the new center is to offer comfortable, family-friendly care and the total LDR experience to the women of our community," says Hackler.

You may not want to go home.
The rooms are decorated in soft colors, with carpeted or woodgrain floors in most areas, says Hackler. A TV/VCR hidden in an armoire, JacuzziŽ whirlpool tubs, upholstered loungers, and special bed linens make labor and delivery rooms comfortable for the new mom and family, while infant warmers in each room provide safety and comfort for the new arrivals. "My husband and I are actually looking forward to staying here," says Misti Searcy, administrative secretary in Human Resources at Danville Regional, of their plans to deliver their third child in the new center.

When delivery is imminent, surgical lights swing down from the ceiling and wood cabinets housing oxygen and medical supplies are opened, providing all of the medical necessities available in a traditional delivery room. Once the delivery is complete, the medical equipment is again tucked away.

The nine obstetricians and one nurse midwife on staff at Danville Regional deliver more than 1,200 babies per year. "The physicians and nurses are excited about getting moved in and getting to work in this great environment," says Hackler.

Pediatric rooms keep families together.
Because any hospitalization can be scary for a child and his parents, the new pediatric rooms are designed to keep families together and allow for playtime once the child is feeling better. Eight of the 12 beds are private and two are isolation rooms for children with communicable diseases, such as chicken pox, says Hackler.

Following a community open house and tours, all units moved to their new quarters on the same day. Additional staff was on duty to serve both areas until the transfer was complete.

It was a hectic day, but well worth it," says Hackler.