By: Deborah Johnson Wood
The $190 million Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital on Grand Rapids’ Medical Mile recently poked its steel frame above ground.
Anchoring the 440,000-square-foot, 14-story facility are four levels built into the hill, one of which is completely underground, that will house parking and a conference center, a pediatric ER, imaging and a central sedations area featuring an advanced program to keep children comfortable when undergoing procedures.
“We want this to be as family centered as it can be,” says Bob Connors, MD, hospital president. “The patient rooms have large windows and are meant to be comforting, large enough so family members can be a part of the care-giving team.”
The hospital’s family accommodations include short-term stay areas for families dealing with unexpected emergencies, as well as access to the on-campus Renucci House and the nearby Ronald McDonald House.
The primary focus of caring for sick and injured children is evident in the number of specialized services, including: pediatric operating rooms, cardiac catherization services, pediatric cancer services and a neonatal intensive care unit.
“Our neonatal unit sees 1,200 new admissions every year,” says Dr. Connors. “Last year, the existing children’s hospital admitted 7,800 kids, and this year the ER will see 40,000 children. Our medical offices will have over 125,000 visits.
“We expect those numbers to grow when the new hospital opens,” Dr. Connors adds. “The kind of services we want to offer can be intense and require people with special backgrounds. Smaller community hospitals can’t provide the services, so those hospitals refer really sick kids to us.”
The hospital will open in 2011. Financial donations currently stand at nearly $103 million, about $3 million over the original goal.
Source: Bob Connors, MD, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital
Photo by Brian Kelly
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Deborah Johnson Wood is the development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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