Prentice Women’s Hospital of Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Prentice Women’s Hospital (PWH) has the largest number of deliveries in the state of Illinois—more than 12,000 per year—and this number is expected to grow. The Labor and Delivery Unit is designated a Level 3, high-risk obstetrical unit. The hospital contains state-of-the-art facilities for mothers and their babies. Obstetricians come from both the private and academic sectors, and patients represent a mix of both healthy and high-risk parturients.
Last year, 1,055 infants were discharged from the special care nursery, where many had been hospitalized for weeks and even months. Roughly 10 percent of babies born at Prentice require this treatment. Newborns in need of intensive care are also transferred from throughout the area to Prentice, one of the few local hospitals with nurseries for the most critically ill at birth.
Anesthesiology Service faculty and staff members are involved in the care of approximately 95 percent of obstetric patients. CA-2 residents spend two months rotating on the OB Service and senior residents can elect to rotate an additional three months during their CA-3 year.
The New Prentice Women’s Hospital
In October 2007, Northwestern Memorial Hospital opened the new Prentice Women's Hospital, a state-of-the-art facility which supports the highest quality of care for women at all stages of life. The $500 million hospital is designed in a way that responds to what women have told the Northwestern Memorial organization about their needs and preferences for themselves and their family members.
The new Prentice Women's Hospital offers:
Nearly one million square feet of space
A seamless integration of care and services for women
Private rooms with visitor-friendly features
The largest comprehensive breast center in the region
The capacity for 13,600 births per year, among the top three in the nation
One of the largest centers for special-care infants in the country
Artwork as a key element in the overall patient experience
State-of-the-art technology with an integrated medical record system
Babysitting services
Full-service retail amenities
A Women's education and conference center
Located on the corner of Chicago and Fairbanks streets, the building's unique design features a distinctive curve on the eastern side of the hospital, which maximizes natural light and views for patients and visitors and sets the tone for the healing environment within. Artwork, gardens, views of Lake Michigan and natural light throughout enhances the building's therapeutic effect.