GREENSBORO, N.C. — After five years in the making, staff at Cone Health Women's and Children's Center at Moses Cone are busy tying the final bows on a new facility. On Sunday, they'll cut the ribbon.
Friday and Saturday, it's all-hands-on-deck to prepare the hospital prior to the official move-in on February 23. Friday, crews of workers transported equipment from the current Women's hospital to its new home connected to Moses Cone Hospital.
Sue Pedaline, the hospital's Chief Nursing Officer, played a large role in the development of the new facility. She was responsible for incorporating feedback from "anybody who touches patients," and incorporating their ideas and needs into the design. She also was responsible for curating the art pieces on each floor.
Two large tasks, but the process was anything from a one-woman show.
"We had close to 1,000 people involved in every decision of this building," Pedaline said, "Whether it was where a room was, the shape of the room, the shape of the building itself, where items inside the room would be including outlets, oxygen outlets, things like that. It was very cooperative."
The result is a hospital that does not feel like a hospital.
"I may be biased, but it's the prettiest hospital I've ever seen," she said.
Walking through the hallways, noticeable design elements stand out. The building's color, curves and natural light all had particular attention paid to them.
"When it came down to some of the specific design choices," she continued, "We would bring specific things in front of focus groups that included staff, patients, former patients to find out what resonated with them,"
Those focus groups unanimously chose bright, bold colors, which stand out the moment patients exit the elevator. The building is flooded with natural light, another intentional choice meant to add a soothing, calm aura.
"Even on a gloomy day, we have natural light everywhere. It’s pretty bright in here," Pedaline said.
More subtly, the curvature of just about every stand-alone item has a special purpose as well.
"From the outside, the design looks very angular. [A lot of] sharp corners," Pedaline said, "So, when we talked to the designers about flooring, desks, and finishes, we said, 'You have to put in as many curves as you can.' Because it’s a women’s building."
"We gave it more of a feminine feel," Pedaline said.
These artistic details, when combined with the design of the building, create something that's both efficient and new, while paying homage to the former Women's Hospital.
"We wanted to make sure that this building had a distinct identity," Pedaline said, "Because people had a lot of love for the previous Women’s Hospital, and we wanted to make sure that they still felt that."