Gresham Smith is proud to announce that construction is complete on the new 23,000-square-foot, 24-bed mother/infant unit at Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center in Midlothian, Virginia. Focusing on amenities that create a calm comfortable experience for families and a layout that promotes care team collaboration, the new space is designed to provide compassionate care and support for the growing number of expecting mothers in the greater Richmond area.
“Welcoming a new baby is a life-changing, and often overwhelming, experience. Our goal was to create a space that reduces stress and leads to a more relaxing stay,” said Kristen Bell, AIA, EDAC, LEED AP, Senior Architect at Gresham Smith. “Additionally, our design supports staff by providing a variety of spaces for both work and rest, since staff well-being is critical to providing the highest-level of care.”
During the ribbon cutting for the new unit, Joe Wilkins, President of St. Francis Medical Center expressed his appreciation, “Over the history of our facility we have welcomed over 35,000 babies into the world. I always view our newborns as beacons of hope and Gresham Smith has done an extraordinary job of creating a space to welcome them. On behalf of all our St. Francis team, patients, and babies to come – thank you!”
The newly renovated space complements the existing hospital, which was inspired by the beauty of Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis. Large windows and a neutral color palette accented by blues and greens create connection to nature, while integrated lighting and large wall graphics aid in wayfinding.
The large, private patient rooms feature private bathrooms, space for baby’s bassinet, a computer for in-room charting, and amenities—such as sleeper sofas, recliners and charging outlets—for visiting friends and family members. Custom casework reduces clutter and provides dedicated storage for a car seat, suitcases and baby belongings. To create adaptability and flexibility for the future, a portion of the patient rooms can be separated from the unit and used for isolation or post-op gynecological patients.
A centralized, open nurse station encourages collaboration and gives the care team unobstructed views of patients, while a staff lounge and respite room provide space for recharging. Additionally, the unit includes a transitional nursery with space for procedures, a family room, a patient education classroom and a two-bay lactation support suite.
Gresham Smith provided architecture, interior design and wayfinding design services for the project, which is a continuation of the firm’s work at Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center. Gresham Smith previously created the St. Francis Medical Center Master Plan and designed the 52,000-square-foot vertical expansion. The expansion, which will have 48 new beds, is scheduled for completion in the Spring of 2024.
