Renovated maternity unit opens

Atlantic Health’s Newton Medical Center formally opened its newly renovated maternity unit June 17.

It features 17 private maternity suites with sleeping couches, quiet workspaces, lounge chairs and more, designed to better support families, visitors and partners.

Supported by the Newton Medical Center Foundation as part of a broader $3.5 million investment, the renovation marks a significant milestone in the hospital’s efforts to enhance patient experience and clinical excellence.

The maternity unit renovation marks the final phase of the foundation’s “Your Care, Our Future” campaign, which funded three key facility projects, including the renovation and redesign of the Behavioral Health Patient Unit in the Emergency Department and a newly designed and enhanced Intensive Care Unit.

New initiative

The foundation’s new fundraising initiative is raising $1 million toward a $6.6 million investment in Newton Medical Center’s Oncology Expansion Project at Sparta.

The current Atlantic Medical Group (AMG) Oncology office, in the Sparta Wellness Center, cannot accommodate expansion. Renovation and expansion of the current state-of-the-art Sparta oncology and outpatient infusion center will create the capacity needed for continued growth of the hematology oncology program in the western region.

Components of the project to be completed in the Sparta Health & Wellness facility include:

• Creation of a new dedicated mixing pharmacy for preparation of chemotherapy drugs and potentially hazardous compounds.

• The addition of one physician and one nurse practitioner to the onsite oncology practice.

• Renovation and expansion of the infusion center, including the addition of four infusion bays for a total of nine plus one private treatment room.

Th project aims to enhance the treatment experience and quality of life for all who receive care at the Newton Medical Center’s Outpatient Infusion Center and AMG Medical Oncology.

The Newton Medical Center Foundation also is raising money for a newly established Oncology Patient Assistance Fund, modeled after similar funds at the other Atlantic Health System hospitals.

The fund will help combat health-care inequality and provide cancer patients and their families with some relief from financial hardships as well as reduce delays in care.