Health Matters

The Women's Hospital of Greensboro: 20 Years and Counting

January 28, 2011

The month of November was a time of celebration for The Women's Hospital of Greensboro as they commemorated their 20th anniversary. At the celebratory event, held Nov. 4, Women's Hospital representatives honored the history and progression of the hospital. Key speakers included Cindy Farrand, president of The Women's Hospital, Henry Smith III, MD, current Moses Cone Healthcare System Board of Trustees chair; Tim Rice, current president and CEO of Moses Cone Healthcare System; Dennis Barry, former CEO Emeritus of the healthcare system; Robert Wein, MD, the hospital's first chief of obstetric and gynecological services; and Jim Whiting and LaVonne Fisher, first vice president and director of nursing for The Women's Hospital.

The Women's Hospital was designed to make the patient's experience as comfortable and positive as possible. Maternity care is designed with the entire family in mind to make the stay more relaxing and to enhance the early bonding experience.

Today, Women's Hospital of Greensboro is a 134-bed hospital dedicated to providing state-of-the-art, compassionate and personalized care to women at every stage of their lives. For infants who need special care, Women's Hospital offers the region's foremost Level II and Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Women's Hospital staff and specialists include: neonatologists, maternal/fetal physician specialists, anesthesiologists, radiologists, gestational diabetes specialists, breastfeeding consultants and dietitians. In addition to maternity care, Women's Hospital offers a complete Women's Health Program with inpatient and outpatient surgical services, medical care, breast mammography and ultrasound imaging, infertility testing and a complete high-risk obstetrical program, including education and monitoring for gestational diabetes.

Preventive healthcare education is a main emphasis at Women's Hospital. Resources include an education center and complete educational programming in prepared childbirth and women's health issues, including parenting, midlife challenges and nutrition.

As The Women's Hospital of Greensboro begins its 21st year, it will continue to meet the needs of women and families during childbirth as well as focus on serving the increasing demand for mature women's healthcare in the community. Changing demographics indicate not only a need for more focused care for women, particularly in specialty areas such as the treatment of heart disease and cancer, but issues related to gynecology, urology and orthopedics.

Studies show women are a third more likely than men to suffer from chronic health conditions that require ongoing healthcare, and gynecological care needs are expected to rise as the population continues to age. For instance, in 1990, when Women's Hospital first opened, 12.6 percent of the US female population was older than 65 years of age. By the year 2050, this figure will almost double to 22.9 percent. Regional percentages are similar in North Carolina.

"As the population ages, we will expand the role of Women's Hospital to include an even greater focus on women's heart health and cancer care, as well as minimally-invasive gynecological surgery procedures and the establishment of a mature woman's program," explained Farrand.

"We are fortunate to be able to provide a full continuum of care through coordination with the Moses Cone Healthcare System, including the Heart and Vascular Center and the Regional Cancer Center with its new Alight Breast Cancer Center opening next year."

The Women's Hospital is developing strategies to meet mature women's healthcare needs. Plans include partnerships with GYN physicians and urologists for management of pelvic floor pain, weight-bearing exercise programs, arthritis management, bone health and nutrition counseling. The Women's Hospital will also devote attention to the emotional wellness and needs of maturing women.

The Women's Hospital also plans to tackle women's heart health issues in the upcoming years. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in America, with one in eight women between the ages of 45 to 64 suffering from some sort of heart ailment. The need for exceptional cardiovascular care is evident, and with the help of Moses Cone's Heart and Vascular Center, The Women's Hospital plans to offer cardiac screenings tailored for women, educational programs on women's heart health and special events promoting healthy heart activities.

The Women's Hospital of Greensboro currently serves as a center for minimally invasive laproscopic surgery, allowing women to remain close to home and their family. Benefits of minimally invasive procedures, as compared to traditional surgical procedures, are extensive, including faster recovery times, less scar tissue, less pain, lower doses of pain medication and higher accuracy rates.

The Women's Hospital sets a new standard for relationship-based care for women in the region. With top patient satisfaction scores nationally, the culture created at The Women's Hospital ensures patients are treated in a personalized, family-centric, educational and respectful manner.

Farrand explained, "Typically a woman's first stay in a hospital is for the birth of her first child. The Women's Hospital works very hard to make sure her experience is an exceptional and memorable event."