Medical centers are giving the bum's rush to conventional hospital gowns.
Following months of study, officials with Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park have decided to adopt new hospital gowns that feature sharper colors, a different mix of fabrics and a design that aims to keep patient posteriors under wraps.
The key difference: Patients tie new gowns closer to their sides, so there's less straining with knots at the middle of their backs. In focus groups, patients told hospital officials they feel exposed with current hospital gowns.
"They had a gown on that did not fully cover them," said Christa Getchell, president of a foundation that's connected to Methodist. "Sometimes the color was so faded that it was see-through. At other times, their backsides were hanging out, and they were cold. And so they felt vulnerable."
The hospital-wide switch at Methodist will take place Feb. 21. It's one of several transitions across the Twin Cities over the coming year at hospitals and clinics in the Allina, Fairview and HealthPartners systems.
Methodist Hospital is part of Bloomington-based HealthPartners, which expects to introduce the gowns at Regions Hospital in St. Paul during the third quarter.
The gowns already have been introduced at three hospitals in the Minneapolis-based Allina Health System, which expects to add them at more hospitals over the next six weeks.
The hospitals rent gowns from Health Systems Cooperative Laundries, a St. Paul-based service that also washes the garments. The laundry service is in the process of buying 100,000 new hospital gowns at a cost of about $500,000, said Larry Hilton, the general manager with Health Systems Cooperative Laundry.