When Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital broke ground on its new patient tower in October 2016, hospital leaders envisioned a building that would meet the growing health care needs of the Santa Clarita Valley community.
Construction crews can be seen hustling up and down the six-story, 160,000-square-foot patient tower trying to avoid the steel beams, criss-crossing wires and exposed ventilation ducts that dot the premises working to make it a reality. As they bustle to finish the work that must be done before the building can open to patients, hospital officials are excited about its opening scheduled for summer 2019.
Travel up the construction elevator to the second floor and — at this time next year — you’ll be standing in the Center for Women and Newborns, which will feature nearly 30 added beds, two dedicated cesarean section operating rooms and much more, said Jenn Castaldo, the hospital’s vice president and chief nursing officer who cited the renovation to the hospital’s maternity services as one of the more important upgrades cunderway at the Henry Mayo Newhall Patient Tower.
“Certainly, one of the most important things for the hospital and our community is our upgrade to our women’s services,” Castaldo said, because it’s vital for expecting mothers to experience childbirth in an environment that promotes healing, wellness and is really focused on family centered care, which is what the improvements will provide.
Every aspect of the new patient tower will feature accommodations that aim to increase the level of comfort experienced by a patient, expecting mother or their family, Castaldo said.
“Most patients when they are expecting to deliver a child really think about the comfort and amenities,” Castaldo said. “That’s what we want to provide, so it’s really more like a spa, healing, warm environment,” where laboring women can forget that they’re in a hospital setting.
Soft lighting, labor and delivery monitors that allow women to ambulate on-the-move or in the shower are some of the technological upgrades coming to the patient tower, according to hospital staff.
This means some women will now be able to grab a sandwich in the expanded cafeteria area or have the chance to monitor their baby wirelessly while they perform everyday tasks like showering, Castaldo said, adding the hospital will still be able to ensure that patients get the quality emergency services, sophisticated technology and highest levels of hospital care during a patient’s stay.
The blood bank on the first floor will be a vital service for all patients and programs housed in the tower, according to Castaldo, and the 30 new licensed medical and surgical units will feature overnight sleep accommodations so family members can stay by their loved one’s side.
The hospital will also have its very first OB-ED, which will be used to deliver a high level of emergency care should an unlikely event occur, Castaldo said. “Every minute counts when an infant is struggling,” which is why it’s helpful to have the services in such a close and adjacent proximity.
“It’s really about bringing that birthing — and suite — experience into the acute care setting so that you have the beauty of them both,” Castaldo said. “You’ll have the high-grade technology that you’d need if there’s an emergency situation,” but you’ll also have the serenity, freedom and choice that families look for when deciding where they will host their birthing experience, she added.
The best part is patients won’t even know that most of the emergency care exists within the setting because it’s functioning in the background, Castaldo said. “And that’s the whole point, right? Women don’t want to worry about this stuff in labor and we want that to be the furthest thing from their mind, as well,” which is why the hospital is investing so much into the wellness experience.
“They may never want to leave. It’s going to be so lovely,” Castaldo said, mentioning the lotion bar and other amenities that will be available. “But we also really want to hear from the women of our community so we can see what other types of things patients may want. It’s all about pampering and privacy and making families are part of the experience.”
It’s the little details that count, Castaldo said. “There has been a great deal of thought and care put into that when constructing this facility.”
