W&I debuts more comfortable hospital gown

PROVIDENCE – A new hospital gown, known as the “Jane,” will make its debut Oct. 1 at the Breast Health Center at Women & Infants Hospital.
The softer, more comfortable hospital garb was developed by Sharon Linder as an alternative to what she called the “uncomfortable, immodest patient gowns with a rear opening that leaves you exposed and feeling vulnerable.”
The design of the new “Jane” was a result in part of Linder’s family experience with breast cancer: her mother and both sisters have had the disease. It also involved Linder’s own experiences. “The flimsy, ill-fitting gowns I was given during office visits often left me freezing and scrambling to clutch the garment closed. For self-preservation, I needed to find a better way.”
The new Janes, which Linder describes as a “more comfortable, dignified patient gown with a front wrap opening,” will be offered exclusively through the Breast Health Center at Women & Infants through 2012. Linder is in conversation with other large cancer centers across the country about their interest in providing “Janes” to their patients.
The off-white gowns with peach trim are made of a waffle-weave jersey fabric that will trap warmth next to the wearer’s skin and be soft enough if rubbing against surgical sites, according to Linder. The “Jane” looks more like a robe, wrapping in the front with a generous overlap for complete coverage and a pocket. The new hospital gown was tested for durability of the fabric in collaboration with Purity Linen, the laundry company that services Women & Infants.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer our patients the latest design in patient gowns,” said Dr. Robert D. Legare, director of the Breast Health Center. “We have always acknowledged the inherent dignity of each patient and believe the Janes will help us further preserve this dignity during all patient encounters.”