The new Temple Women and Families Hospital in North Philadelphia is set to revolutionize maternity care when it opens its inpatient services on September 3, 2023. This facility will centralize all labor and delivery services within the Temple Health system, which currently sees approximately 2,000 deliveries annually. As regional labor and delivery programs face cuts or closures, Temple Health aims to expand its services to meet the growing demand for maternity care across the city.
Executive Director Sharon Kurfuerst emphasized the need for this facility, stating, “We know that there’s a maternal desert out there.” She highlighted Temple’s commitment to addressing this gap by investing in specialized services that cater to the community’s needs. The new hospital will provide a comprehensive approach to childbirth, focusing on both inpatient and outpatient care.
Comprehensive Facilities Designed for Families
The Temple Women and Families Hospital occupies a five-floor campus that was previously the Cancer Centers for America facility in the Lawncrest neighborhood. In contrast to the limited space at Temple’s Main Campus hospital, this new facility offers a variety of private labor and delivery rooms designed with families in mind. During a recent tour, Kurfuerst showcased a spacious delivery room equipped with a hospital bed and a pullout sleeper sofa for support persons. This setup allows families to remain close during the birthing process.
Post-delivery, families will transition to one of the 32 private maternity suites for postpartum recovery. Each suite features its own bathroom and comfortable accommodations for overnight guests. Kurfuerst noted the importance of “rooming-in” for newborns, which promotes better bonding and breastfeeding outcomes.
The hospital is also equipped with advanced facilities, including two surgical operating rooms for both scheduled and unplanned C-sections. For newborns requiring additional care, the hospital boasts a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with 41 beds, nearly double the capacity of the NICU at the Main Campus hospital.
Addressing Broader Health Needs
Beyond maternity and neonatal care, the Women and Families Hospital aims to provide a range of outpatient services. These include radiology, behavioral health, obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN), pediatrics, and cardiology. Many of these services are already operational, providing essential health care to the community.
A significant aspect of the hospital’s mission is to improve long-term maternal and infant health outcomes. Kurfuerst explained that the hospital will also host an office for the Pennsylvania Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which assists low-income families with nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and access to formula.
The overarching goal of the new facility is to enhance access to community health care while focusing on reducing infant and maternal mortality rates. “To do that, you need focused care and you need people to be able to access the care when they need it,” Kurfuerst added, highlighting the hospital’s commitment to serving a critical need in the region.
As Temple Health prepares to welcome expectant families to its new facility, the focus will remain on delivering high-quality, compassionate care in a supportive environment. This initiative not only enhances maternity services in North Philadelphia but also serves as a crucial step towards addressing disparities in maternal health care across the region.