Hospitals are aiming toward a resort-like feel when it comes to attracting maternity patients, a Florida paper reported. A couple of Orlando area hospitals have invested millions of dollars into their maternity suites, going for ultra-contemporary, upscale decor to attract expectant moms. The story says:
There’s granite in the bathroom, a flat-screen television on the wall and a masseuse is available to sooth your aching muscles.
Welcome to a modern-day maternity ward, where hospitals see labor and delivery as big business and are competing to make their rooms feel less like an infirmary and more like a resort.
Our maternity wards in Wichita are nothing to sneeze at. Have you seen the Wesley Medical Center birthing suites? But where one gives birth here often depends on which hospital her insurance dictates.
But why invest this kind of money when maternity patients are typically loss leaders? The story suggests it’s because women usually make the health care decisions and if they have a good birth experience, they’ll likely come back. Does that matter here? I think so. Employers listen to their employees.