Everyone who gives birth at NYU Langone’s Tisch Hospital now recovers in a private room, thanks to a facilities overhaul that doubles the space available for postpartum care.

“One patient told me, ‘I feel like I’m at a hotel.’ She had a view of the East River in a newly remodeled room,” says Lisa K. Shanahan, DO, medical director of the family care suite at Tisch Hospital. “The environment in the rooms is so calm, and our patients can rest more and recover better. Their partners can stay overnight, and this creates a great opportunity for the new family to bond.”

The addition of private rooms elevates the patient experience to make it more family-centered and comfortable, notes Ashley S. Roman, MD, chief of service for obstetrics at Tisch Hospital and vice chair for clinical affairs in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “It’s wonderful to now have an inpatient experience that matches the outstanding quality of medical care provided by our doctors and care team,” she says.

The expanded unit is now called the family care suite and reflects NYU Langone’s ongoing commitment to addressing the individual needs of all obstetric patients, notes Dana R. Gossett, MD, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “By transitioning the name from the ‘mother–baby unit’ to the ‘family care suite,’ we are communicating that our care is inclusive for people building families in many different ways,” she says.

Aside from a bed for the new parent, each room features a bassinet and an additional adult sleeping space for a guest to spend the night. As a certified Baby-Friendly hospital, Tisch Hospital encourages breastfeeding and rooming with your newborn. Private rooms allow breastfeeding education to be done in a more intimate setting, and babies can stay in the room without worry about them being awakened by noises from others. Medical exams or evaluations are also more private.

“The family care suite is more intimate for patients and for their care providers,” says Dr. Roman. “We are now able to give families a degree of privacy during those special first few days of life.”