UK HealthCare to begin multiphase renovation of Birthing Center
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 26, 2026) — Starting this spring, UK HealthCare’s Birthing Center will undergo a multiphase renovation.
Located on the third floor of University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital’s Pavilion H, renovations will begin after the Mother Baby Unit moves to its new location in Pavilion A in early March. The updates will be conducted in phases, with completion expected in 2029.
“The renovation of our Birthing Center isn’t just about changes to a physical space, it’s about creating a place where families feel comfortable, supported and truly cared for,” said Emily DeFranco, D.O., chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the UK College of Medicine. “With more space and thoughtfully designed rooms, we’re creating an environment that meets patients’ needs at every stage of their birthing journey.”
Once completed, the center will include:
- Four additional labor and delivery rooms, bringing the total to 16 rooms
- A total of 10 antepartum rooms, each equipped with advanced monitoring technology for high-risk pregnancies
- An expanded OB emergency unit with six total beds
- A renovated and expanded family waiting area
The Birthing Center also has three dedicated operating rooms and three surgical prep and recovery rooms.
“We have always provided expert, compassionate care, and we want to assure patients that care will continue uninterrupted,” said DeFranco.
Tours for expectant families will still be available throughout the renovation process. Patients, staff and providers can follow updates on the renovation website.
UK HealthCare is the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. But it is so much more. It is more than 10,000 dedicated health care professionals committed to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. It also is the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and sickest newborns and the region’s only Level 1 trauma center.
As an academic research institution, we are continuously pursuing the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. Our discoveries have the potential to change what’s medically possible within our lifetimes. Our educators and thought leaders are transforming the health care landscape as our six health professions colleges teach the next generation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, spreading the highest standards of care. UK HealthCare is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come.