Reading Hospital Foundation hosted a ribbon-cutting event on October 4 for a special Serenity Space for maternity patients and their families. The room is designed to provide a quiet, calm, and more relaxing environment where important communication can occur among patients, their families, and healthcare providers, and support them when coping with severe illness or death of an infant. Staff may also meet here to discuss challenging cases and provide support to one another.
The room was funded by an employee grant program from the family of the late Russell S. Bickel Jr. to support a project that improves patient-centered care, with a special focus on communication with patients and family and care providers. The Serenity Space grant application was co-authored by Kelly Bower RNC-OB, LDRP and Melissa Spang BSN, RNC-OB.
"The Reading Hospital Beginnings Maternity team has had a bereavement program in place for many years," said Ms. Bower. "Within the hospital environment, it is extremely difficult to find a quiet space where mothers and fathers can receive the news that their baby is either no longer living or is not expected to live beyond the initial hours after delivery. We created the Serenity Space as an area where grieving families can go to be alone, or to talk quietly with their providers. It will also be a place where staff can retreat to gather their thoughts and reflect after a traumatic event."
The Serenity Space is set away from the busy patient care areas to provide privacy. The room includes self-help and inspirational materials and support resource information. Patients, families, and staff will benefit from this comprehensive, calm environment designed to bring peace.
Ms. Swoyer added, "Communication between patients and providers is critical. The Russell S. Bickel, Jr. Memorial Grant Fund for Quality Improvement was started to support and strengthen the patient and provider relationship. This room is so significant for families dealing with loss, and I am honored that my brother’s legacy will support such an important initiative."
"The Reading Hospital Foundation appreciates the ongoing support of Barbera Swoyer and the Bickel family to identify projects that encourage communication between patients, their families, and providers," said Katherine Thornton, Reading Hospital Foundation President. "We are proud to be able to provide this safe space for those who need it."
Featured in the group photo from left to right: Nicholas Obiri, MD, Chief, Division of Neonatology; Kelly Bower, RNC-OB, LDRP; Barbara Swoyer; Melissa Spang, BSN, RNC-OB; Mark B. Woodland, MD, Chair, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
About Reading Hospital
Reading Hospital is the flagship, Magnet Recognized, acute care hospital of Tower Health. Located in West Reading, Pa., Reading Hospital is a 714-bed hospital that is home to many top-tier specialty care centers, including Reading HealthPlex, Tower Health Transplant Institute, McGlinn Cancer Institute, Miller Regional Heart Center, Emergency Department, Level I Trauma Center and Beginnings Maternity Center, which houses the region's only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). With more than 1,000 physicians and providers across 49 locations, Reading Hospital has been recognized for its quality outcomes and clinical expertise across services lines. It is listed as one of America's 100 Best Hospitals for five consecutive years and received a 5-Star Rating from CMS two years in a row. For more information, visit towerhealth.org.