Centra Virginia Baptist Hospital Case Study with Vivreau

This article was originally written in 06 2021 and has since been updated in 06 2026 to reflect new findings and data points.

TL;DR

Centra Virginia Baptist Hospital shows how healthcare spaces can improve patient experience while making smarter choices around waste, service, and sustainability.
Premium water service can support a more hospitality-driven patient experience in healthcare settings.
Sustainability and wellness priorities increasingly overlap in modern hospitals and care environments.
Thoughtful amenity design can help a facility stand out while reducing dependence on disposable packaging.

Centra Virginia Baptist Hospital

Centra is a regional nonprofit healthcare system that serves over 500,000 people through central and southern Virginia. As one of four hospitals, Virginia Baptist Hospital is home to the maternity facility, which encourages a family-centered approach to childbirth. The labor and delivery rooms and the Mother-Baby rooms have the look and feel of an upscale hotel.

Timothy Schoomaker, System Director and Executive Chef at Centra, wanted to offer patients an experience they could not find at other birthing centers with amenities like in-room premium filtered water, but without the single use plastic waste.

Centra installed two Vivreau high volume water dispensers and located them conveniently in the pre-labour and post-labour areas. Custom Vivreau bottles were ordered with the Centra logo on the front and a message about the healthcare center’s sustainability commitment on the back. Centra staff present families with chilled still or sparkling water each day in their rooms. Patients can take the Vivreau glass bottle home as a souvenir of their stay. Centra factors the cost of the bottle into the overall price of the patients’ stay at Virginia Baptist Hospital.

Vivreau water dispensing system in a hospital corridor with doctors in discussion

DIRECTOR AND EXECUTIVE CHIEF

“Hygiene is very important to us at Centra, and we’re very happy with the quality and taste of Vivreau water. The glass bottles with Centra Health’s logo are also a nice touch. The Vivreau system gives us an additional amenity that you do not normally see in a hospital.”

Employees also have access to the Vivreau water and as a result there is no bottled water being delivered to the facility anymore. Easy access to the Vivreau dispensers encourage staff to drink more water and fits nicely into the Centra employee Health & Wellness initiative called Healthworks, which is through the in-house insurance program provided to employees.

Doctor offering a glass of water to a patient lying on a medical examination bed

Why are hospitals rethinking patient amenities and sustainability?

In 2026, healthcare organizations are under growing pressure to think more holistically about the patient experience. That includes not only clinical care, but also the environment patients and families move through every day. Small details, like how water is served, can help reinforce a sense of comfort, quality, and care.

That conversation is also happening against a larger sustainability backdrop. HHS says it is working to reduce the agency’s climate impact, and health-sector organizations continue to face rising expectations around efficiency, resilience, and environmental responsibility. Outside government, Health Care Without Harm notes that the U.S. health care sector accounts for 8.5% of national greenhouse gas emissions.

For hospitals, that makes practical improvements more meaningful. A water program that reduces single-use packaging, supports hygiene protocols, and adds a premium touch to the patient stay can do more than solve a service need. It can reflect the kind of thoughtful, modern care environment patients increasingly expect.