Vermont Business Magazine New mothers from throughout Vermont and northern New York will enjoy modern, private rooms with ample space for their partners and visiting loved ones in the “Glen and Rosemarie Wright Mother Baby Unit” unveiled Tuesday at The University of Vermont Medical Center. The Wright's were the lead donors among the 800 individuals and organizations who helped support the $15.8 million project. The current “Mother Baby Unit” is located in facilities that are 50-70 years old and contains small rooms, most of which have two beds. Twenty-two single-bed rooms in the new unit will dramatically reduce double occupancy and provide 44 percent more space per room for patients and families. An additional 3 rooms will be able to accommodate two beds.
Other features that will enhance the patient experience include:
- A quiet environment
- Private bathrooms
- “Murphy” beds in each room pull out from the wall for overnight stays by a support person
- "Boarder" rooms for families whose babies remain in the hospital after the mother has been discharged
- Infants can stay in their rooms for minor procedures instead of being brought to the nursery
- Proximity to the Labor & Delivery unit and Neonatal ICU
- Enhanced technology to improve efficiency of care and patient security
“As an obstetrician/gynecologist who practiced here for 30 years, I know personally what a tremendously positive impact this state-of-the-art facility will have on the more than 2,000 mothers and their babies we care for each year,” said John Brumsted, M.D., president and CEO, UVM Health Network and CEO, UVM Medical Center. “We are so grateful to the Wrights for the very generous support they have provided to make this day possible. Thanks to them and other generous donors, generations of families will experience those first momentous days in a beautiful facility that matches the high quality of care our staff has always provided,” he continued.
“Welcoming a baby is an intimate, challenging moment both physically and emotionally, and families deserve the ability to enjoy this experience in privacy,” said Eileen Whalen, MHA, RN, president and chief operating officer of the UVM Medical Center. “This new facility will make that possible and lead to a stronger start for families.”
“Taken together, the features in this unit will promote healing, bonding and the delivery of first-rate care that meets the latest health care guidelines,”said Ira Bernstein, M.D., John van Sicklen Maeck professor and chair of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at UVM Medical Center and the University of Vermont College of Medicine. “Our patients and their families deserve nothing less.”
“I want to thank all of the nurses and other staff who did such a great job designing a space that is completely centered around the needs of our families,” said Jennifer Robare, R.N., nurse manager of Maternity and Nursery. “There are also many features designed to improve the efficiency of the care we provide, and that will ensure a better experience for both patients and staff.”
“The UVM Medical Center has deeply touched both my life and that of my family in many ways, and I view it as one of the most valuable assets in the region,” said Glen Wright.“Over my many years of involvement, I’ve come to understand the important role that philanthropy plays in helping to keep this one of the top academic medical centers in the country, and that’s why Rose and I are thrilled to support this wonderful new facility.”
“I’m very proud of our community for once again showing such strong support for providing the very best quality of health care for this region,” said Jessica Brumsted, who co-chaired the Mother-Baby Steering Committee with Jan Carroll, R.N., administrative director of Nursing at the Medical Center. “On behalf of the committee and all our volunteers, I want to thank the more than 800 individuals and many organizations whose generous contributions raised more than $3 million to create this exceptional space so newborns and their families can bond in a loving environment.”
Local businesses and organizations providing major financial support include:
· Party City
· The Pizzagalli Foundation
· The University of Vermont Medical Center Auxiliary
· The Klifa Club
· Fraternal Order of Eagles Jimmy Durante Children’s Fund
· Affiliates in Obstetrical & Gynecological Care
· The Mervyn L. Brenner Foundation
· Children's Miracle Network
· Healthy Living Market & Cafe
· Kinney Drugs Foundation
· New England Federal Credit Union
· Paul, Frank + Collins P.C
· People's United Bank
· Ronald McDonald House Charities
· Seventh Generation, Inc.
· Comcast
· Devonwood Industries, LLC
· The Zurn Family Foundation
Patients will be welcomed to the new space starting August 4. The project cost $15.8 million and took 14 months to construct. It was designed by MorrisSwitzer Environments for Health of Williston, Vermont, and built by PC Construction of South Burlington.
Source: July 28, 2015. University of Vermont Medical Center
The University of Vermont Medical Center (formerly Fletcher Allen Health Care), is a 447-bed tertiary -are regional referral center serving approximately 1 million residents in Vermont and northern New York. Together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, we are Vermont’s academic medical center.The University of Vermont Medical Center also serves as a community hospital for residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.
The University of Vermont Medical Center is a member of The University of Vermont Health Network, a four-hospital system established to deliver high-quality academic medicine to every community we serve. Our partners are: