Cooley Dickinson Hospital has been caring for the community since 1886, growing as the community grows and working to stay at the forefront of healthcare technology and services. The hospital cares for women at all stages of life, from those in childbirth to those living with a diagnosis of breast cancer or osteoporosis.

focused, compassionate care for women

Cooley Dickinson’s commitment to women’s health was most recently shown by the development of the Cooley Dickinson Center for Midwifery Care on the hospital’s main campus. The Center complements an array of existing childbirth services that range from family education to a pediatric hospitalist program.

Cooley Dickinson Hospital provides inpatient and outpatient services in Northampton, including Fast Track and comprehensive Emergency Services complete with on-site laboratory and imaging services. We also have satellite facilities in Amherst, Easthampton, Florence, Hadley, South Deerfield and Worthington providing an array of services, including primary care, laboratory, imaging and rehabilitation services.

Cooley Dickinson strives to be a model community hospital and is proud of the focused, compassionate care it offers to women.

Center for Midwifery Care

Providers at the Cooley Dickinson Center for Midwifery Care look forward to welcoming expectant families to their new practice located in the Victorian home on the campus of Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Learn more...

Cancer Care Services

Cooley Dickinson Hospital serves patients and their families living with cancer. In addition to cancer prevention, early detection, medical oncology and radiation therapy, services include:

• The Patient Navigator Program - This is a program through which a registered nurse helps patients with a suspicious or abnormal mammogram understand the next treatment steps.
• The Susan G. Komen for the Cure grant - Through Cooley Dickinson’s Cancer Care Program, women living with breast cancer and breast cancer survivors in Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden counties receive three free complementary services including acupuncture, aromatherapy using therapeutic touch, healing music, healing touch, prenatal and postpartum massage, Peggy Huddleston’s Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster™, Reiki, self-hypnosis/guided imagery, therapeutic massage and therapy dog visits. Services will be provided until the close of the grant cycle, which ends March 31, 2009. For an appointment, call (413) 582-2424.

Childbirth Services

The Childbirth Center at Cooley Dickinson Hospital offers a warm, compassionate birthplace, technology and experienced staff members. Expectant parents may select their provider from a staff of board certified obstetricians and gynecologists and a team of midwives.

Other childbirth services include...

• Childbirth preparation and refresher classes
• Infant Feeding classes
• Breastfeeding Clinic featuring lactation support, baby weight checks and Medela sales and supplies
• Self-Hypnosis for Birth, Pregnancy and Beyond
• Brothers and Sisters New Sibling Class
• Yoga: Prenatal and Postpartum
• Baby Sign Language
• Baby Massage
• Teen Childbirth Class
• Inpatient and Outpatient Lactation Support/Services

Rehabilitation

Our Rehabilitation Services are composed of Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology. Our therapists have developed their expertise through specialty training and/or certification and ongoing continuing education. Our women’s services include...

• Bladder Health Program - Using traditional Kegel exercises and a focus on strenghtening pelvic muscles and quieting the “nervous bladder.”
• Combined Decongestive Therapy - Comprehensive treatment for lymphedema (infection or trauma to the lymphatic system).

Women’s Imaging

• Bone Densitometry - Since osteoporosis is a major risk factor for bone injuries in women, a bone density screening is recommended for post-menopausal women to identify those who are or who are likely to become osteoporotic.
• Breast MRI - Available in Northampton and Amherst, Breast MRI tests for the early detection of breast cancer. Breast MRI is used for high-risk individuals, patients diagnosed with breast cancer and as an adjunct to mammography.
• Mammography - Mammography is an X-ray screen of the breasts used to screen for cancer in its earliest stages. It is the only proven imaging test to decrease breast cancer mortality.
• Pelvic and Breast Ultrasound - Ultrasound is used to visualize the pelvic organs - uterus, ovaries and bladder. It can be used to visualize a growing fetus and to determine conditions such as the presence of uterine masses or ovarian abnormalities. Ultrasound is also frequently used to visualize breasts.

Cooley Dickinson Hospital has two locations for Imaging Services, both offering state-of-the-art technology. On its main campus, Imaging Services include PET/CT, MRI and breast MRI. MRI services for patients of all sizes and for those who experience claustrophobia are also offered by Cooley Dickinson at an Amherst location.

Women’s Heart Health

Cooley Dickinson’s heart and vascular program helps women access state-of-the-art services in our cardiovascular suite. Our services include diagnostic cardiology, diagnostic cardiac catheterizations, peripheral vascular studies, an Anti-coagulation (Coumadin) Clinic and programs to help patients improve their heart health and manage congestive heart failure.

Other Services

• VenaCure - The new, non-surgical laser procedure for eliminating varicose veins. This minimally invasive technology treats varicose veins and the patient is able to return to full normal activity immediately after the procedure.
• Minimally Invasive Surgical Services - Procedures, including colonectomies, are performed using minimally invasive procedures with benefits including less pain, faster recovery, smaller incisions, minimal scarring and less loss of blood.
• Cosmetic Surgery - Offering facial, breast and body cosmetic surgery, post-bariatric body contouring surgery, pediatric plastic surgery, facial fractures, hand surgery, post-mastectomy breast reconstruction, reconstruction of defects from skin cancer and post-traumatic defect reconstruction.