Chesapeake Health opens its new Women's Unit

Aug. 16, 2004 — Chesapeake General Hospital opened its new Women's Unit in June. The unit is the only inpatient hospital unit in the area devoted exclusively to women's care.

The renovated unit is located on the hospital's fourth floor. It has been expanded from a 16- to a 30-bed unit. Its focus is on procedures and diagnoses such as gynecology and gynecological oncology care, breast surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, and diseases of the urinary tact, stomach and gall bladder.

Women who are admitted can count on receiving the type of attention they deserve, said Margaret Conklin, director of maternal/child and women's health for the hospital. For years, Chesapeake General has enjoyed the reputation as being the premier facility in which to have a baby. With this unit, we're going to continue that tradition as the facility for women throughout all facets of their lives. These caregivers deserve top-notch care and we plan to give it to them.

The area is designed to make women feel nurtured and comfortable. Healthy snacks such as herbal teas and yogurt are readily available. Rooms are decorated in the calm and serene colors, and relaxing music is played in the common areas and patients rooms. The nurses are specially trained in the basic massage techniques for the hands, feet and back. For full-body massages, facials, manicures and hair styling, arrangements are made for private vendors to care for patients on the unit. Other amenities include diversionary therapy such as guided imagery CDs, music, movies, traditional books and books on tapes for patients who want to explore alternative pain-management methods.

Also located on the unit is a resource center where patients and family members can access the Internet or use books, journals and other materials to research various healthcare topics during, before or after their stay. The Women's Unit and the resource center were the beneficiaries of the Chesapeake Health Foundation's 2004 gala.