Albert Einstein Medical Center Opens Region’s First For-Women-Only Inpatient Unit

Click on the image to take a virtual tour of the new Women's Care Pavilion at Albert Einstein Medical Center.

Philadelphia, PA, November 21, 2003—Albert Einstein Medical Center has opened the Women’s Care Pavilion, a 17-bed unit for women requiring treatment for breast and gynecologic cancers, pelvic problems and other women’s health issues. The Pavilion, which is the first of its kind in the region, differs from other inpatient units in nearly every regard: from its welcoming, warm design elements to its patient-friendly approach to healthcare featuring a range of amenities that are usually found in the hospitality industry.

“The Women’s Care Pavilion follows the model of Einstein Medical Center’s Marion-Louise Saltzman Women’s Center, an outpatient unit that offers seamless, high-quality care and education in a comfortable, soothing environment,” says Arnold Cohen, MD, Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “Women’s Care Pavilion staff will adhere to the same high customer service standards as Women’s Center staff, with the goal of providing a positive healthcare experience to women needing inpatient care.”

“We’ve designed the Women’s Care Pavilion based on what our own patients have told us,” says Carol Irvine, Vice President of Healthcare Services. “Like the Marion-Louise Saltzman Women’s Center, our staff will focus on caring for the whole person, rather than only on her particular medical issue.”

Early this summer, Einstein’s marketing team conducted a series of focus groups to determine what women really wanted in a healthcare experience. Nearly every one of the participants’ suggestions was included in the final plan of the Women’s Care Pavilion.

“People who enter the Women’s Care Pavilion will notice immediately that it is not your ordinary hospital unit,” says Irvine. Using the data gleaned from the focus groups, Einstein administrators consulted a team of architects and designers to help them achieve a woman’s vision of healthcare. With soft lighting, soothing colors and fabrics and rich wood-trim furniture, the Women’s Care Pavilion has a warmer, calmer feel than most inpatient units. Other amenities and services include a resource room where patients can access health information; nurses trained to treat women’s special healthcare needs; complimentary coffee and tea service; daily newspaper delivery to each room; wellness counseling on nutrition, relaxation techniques and other topics; and spa services, including hair and nail care and in-room massages, available on a fee-for-service basis.

A growing body of research indicates that patient outcomes and satisfaction improve when hospitals take a gentler approach to healthcare, encompassing all aspects of the healing experience from the hospital’s design elements to its approach to customer service.

While some Women’s Care Pavilion services are offered simply for patients’ comfort and convenience, others, such as wellness counseling and the resource room, serve a more far-reaching purpose. “We want to prepare women not only for the healthcare event that brought them into the hospital, but also for the healthcare needs they have for the rest of their lives,” says Dr. Cohen.

A team of physicians with expertise in women’s health issues will treat women in the Women’s Care Pavilion. The team includes breast surgeons Robert Somers, MD, Lisa Jablon, MD, and Lori Jardines, MD; gynecologic oncologist Charles Dunton, MD, and urogynecologist Paul Lee, MD. Drs. Somers, Jablon, Jardines and Dunton have received recognition from Philadelphia Magazine as being among the top doctors in the region. Dr. Lee is new to the region after practicing in South Korea and California for many years. However, as Dr. Cohen notes, “Dr. Lee is widely recognized as one of the most skilled gynecologic surgeons in the country.”

Albert Einstein Healthcare Network, a member of the Jefferson Health System, provides healthcare services through Albert Einstein Medical Center, Germantown Community Health Services, Willow Terrace at Germantown Campus (a nursing home), MossRehab, Willowcrest (a center for subacute care), Belmont Behavioral Health and a number of outpatient and satellite locations. Einstein also operates a primary care network, Einstein Neighborhood Healthcare. For additional information, call 1-800-EINSTEIN.

Publish date: November 21, 2003