Local Hospital Unveils "Hospital Rooms of Today"

Giving birth to a child is one of the happiest times for a family. Now, a local hospital is making it even more comfortable for moms to rest before heading home. Columbia St. Mary's Hospital recently gave CBS 58 a tour of their new "family suites." 

"Birth is a family centered event," said Dr. Jonathan Berkoff with Columbia St. Mary's Hospital.

That's why the rooms are double the size of the ones they used to have. Each room has a big screen TV, refrigerator and a top of the line bathroom.

"Spa like amenities," Dr. Berkoff said. "Comfortable shower with a seat and a hand-held sprayer which, after child birth or a cesarean, also very useful."

Dr. Berkoff said a lot of research went in to transforming the old rooms in to the new ones.

"We've gone beyond the time where mom delivers in an operating room and dad's out smoking cigars and, congratulations, you have a baby and the family gathers around the ward," he said.

Mitra Catalano is one of the first mothers to be in the family suite. She has something to compare them to, because she had her first child in one of the old rooms.

"You wanna be in a nice environment afterward, because you're still, especially first time moms, you're still learning everything as every minute goes by, so you wanna be comfortable," Catalano said.

The hospital says comfort won't go above safety.

"We still provide everything that the patients come to expect in terms of safe birth experience, but, in an environment that makes them feel like they're at home," Dr. Berkoff said.

These aren't luxury rooms that come with a luxury price tag. The hospital says every mother who delivers at there will be in one of the rooms.