PROVIDENCE – Brown University donated $5 million toward the creation of Women & Infants Hospital’s new labor and delivery unit, a $28 million project that will replace the existing center with a new, technologically advanced facility.
The new center will be named Brown University Labor and Delivery Center in recognition of the gift, Care New England Health System announced on Thursday.
“The redesigned and expanded labor and delivery center will provide an exceptional environment to support Women & Infants Hospital’s excellence and commitment to world-class medical care, and it would not be possible without our deep, long-standing relationship with our academic partner, Brown University,” said Dr. James E. Fanale, CEO and president of Care New England. “The university’s investment will anchor efforts to build a facility that will have a tremendously positive impact on regional health care and will benefit a significant proportion of people giving birth in the region, and their families for generations to come.”
Women & Infants, the ninth-largest standalone obstetrical service in the country, records about 8,500 births a year, with 4 out of 5 Rhode Island families giving birth at the center, Fanale said. But after 35 years, “evolving medical protocols, technologies and patient expectations necessitate an update,” he said.
The new labor and delivery center will feature modern, state-of-the-art equipment and large delivery rooms, which will almost double in size, going from 220 square feet to 400 square feet, and will include private bathrooms and externally facing windows to allow natural light to flow into the room.
“The new birth center will provide a comfortable and welcoming space that will offer access to high-quality obstetrics for all patients,” said Shannon Sullivan, president and chief operating officer of Women & Infants Hospital. “Rooms will be designed to better accommodate the range of child delivery experiences desired by patients, including meeting the requirements of patient medical conditions.”
To build the unit, Women & Infants launched a fundraising campaign earlier this year with a $33 million goal, which includes $28 million for the labor and delivery unit and $5 million for the creation of a Women’s Health Research Institute that would provide seed money to early- and mid-career researchers. Fanale said he hopes early gifts will encourage other donors to contribute.
“Brown’s support for the labor and delivery center not only reflects the important partnership between Brown and Care New England, but it also demonstrates how cooperation across institutions can serve the people of Rhode Island and elevate the level of health care in the state,” said Christina H. Paxson, president of Brown University, which has a long-standing relationship with Women & Infants. “Close coordination between physicians and researchers translates to excellent medical care and patient outcomes, and we’re pleased to support this project and the health of families from across the region.”
In August, Women & Infants selected Dimeo Construction Co. to manage the project, with Boston-based E4H Environments for Health as the architect. Construction is expected to begin in early 2023.
“The project to create this new labor and delivery center is driven by our commitment to providing the best possible care to patients and their families and elevating clinical practice,” said Dr. Methodius Tuuli, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at the hospital and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical School. “For patients, the new center will support a more personalized birth experience. For medical and academic partners, it will offer improved clinical team communication and an enhanced ability to recruit and retain top clinical and research talent.”
“Women & Infants Hospital is creating an exceptional environment that will advance even further its clinical excellence, and we’re proud to partner with Care New England in caring for the women, children and families of southern New England,” said Dr. Mukesh Jain, dean of medicine and biological sciences at the Warren Alpert Medical School and who oversees the medical school’s relationships with affiliated hospitals. “Women & Infants is an integral training site for our medical students, and learning in a facility designed to improve outcomes will impart important lessons in providing patient-centered care.”
Claudia Chiappa is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Chiappa@PBN.com.
