UofL Health – Mary & Elizabeth Hospital
Mary & Elizabeth Hospital is bringing back labor/delivery services for mothers for the first time since 1974. This is being achieved with partial funding from the Louisville Metro Government -- $8.25 million. Construction on the $20m project is expected to begin in spring 2024.

The new services will allow for care to be administered to mothers by either a certified nurse midwife or an OB/GYN physician. The planned labor/delivery/post-partum suites will be designed in a manner that will invite family participation in the delivery, and all will feature spa-inspired labor tubs.
New Labor & Delivery Services
Over 20k of existing space on the first floor of the hospital near the main entrance will be renovated to create a home for the new labor and delivery services.
The space program for the project includes:
- 8 LDRPs with a focus on natural childbirth
- Each LDRP is a suite that includes a spa-inspired labor tub area and bathroom/shower room
- C-Section suite with one C-section room finished, and one future C-section room shelled out for future growth
- Well-baby Level 1 nursery
- Antepartum exam suite
- Centralized nurse station with maximized visibility
- Labor Lounge that provides calming and soothing environment for laboring mothers
- Education classrooms and consult spaces for pre-natal education, lactation consultations, etc.
- Family Lounge
- Updated lobby and café space
Timeline and project specifics:
- Total Square Footage – 20,555 SF total renovation and refurbishment
- Total Project Cost – Estimated $20m
- Anticipated Demolition Start – December 2023
- Anticipated Construction Start – April 2024
- Anticipated Opening of The Birthing Place – Spring 2025
Existing Women’s Services at Mary & Elizabeth Hospital
A new “Center for Women’s Health” opened on the Mary & Elizabeth campus in December 2022. The center houses the medical offices for gynecology, urogynecology and midwifery.
Across the street from the Center for Women’s Health is Medical Plaza I which houses the Women’s Center. The Women’s Center provides a number of women’s diagnostic services including 3D mammography, ultrasound and stereotactic breast biopsy.