LIFESTYLES | INOVA
WHERE HOSPITAL MEETS HOTEL Focused design and amenities at Inova’s new women’s hospital make the maternity ward feel more like a spa. BY C AT H E R I N E T R I F I L E T T I
One of the hospital’s new spacious patient rooms.
Exterior of the newly constructed Inova Hospital.
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evoke calmness and promote healing while using “sophisticated state of the art aesthetics.” A mock-up room was constructed early on in the process so that physicians, staff and patients could give feedback relating to workflow and ambiance. Moms-to-be looking for a cushier stay can choose from VIP packages available through a concierge program Inova rolled out last month. The offerings provide a high-end holistic experience and most importantly, more space. Patients have a choice between Gold and Diamond packages that feature deluxe suites with private adjoining rooms for visitor overflow (ahem...in-laws) where family members and friends can take advantage of sofa beds and reclining chairs. Both options include high-thread-count sheets, plush oversized beige towels and a
comforter meant to invoke feelings of Home Sweet Home. Additionally, the Diamond package boasts a swanky basket stuffed with a robe and slippers, high-end lotion, sparkling water, an eye mask and chocolates for those inevitable postpartum cravings. Amenities can also be ordered separately from an à la carte menu. Patricia Schmehl, Inova health systems vice president and women’s hospital administrator, says her team recognized the value in providing such luxurious services because “the patient experience around a delivery is truly an event.” In coming weeks, the concierge program will begin offering new mothers a three-course celebratory meal prepared and delivered on fine china by the hospital’s chef. We’ve heard that filet mignon tastes best post-delivery.
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P H OTO S C O U RT E SY O F I N OVA H E A LT H F O U N DAT I O N
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lose your eyes and picture a hospital room. You might conjure up smells of ammonia and visions of white sterile walls or hear beeping from wire-laden machines. But at the new women’s hospital on Inova’s Fairfax medical campus that stereotype gets flipped on its head. All labor and delivery rooms are outfitted with large picture windows and soft neutralcolored walls adorned with framed art of natural landscapes. Noisy, blinking medical machines are hidden behind rich cherry wood cabinets and bathrooms are fully equipped to cater to feminine needs. Sound like a hotel yet? The dedicated team behind the massive project designed the space with hospitality in mind. Interior designer Su Kim of Wilmot Sanz says that the goal was to make rooms
Inova’s celebratory basket for new moms.