Patients, physicians, hospital staff, donors, volunteer support groups, former employees, and local dignitaries were on site to celebrate the $327 million state-of-the-art pediatric medical center thatis scheduled to open its doors to patients in 2010. Th e new hospital will attach to the current Le Bonheur facility. The new hospital address will be 848 Adams Avenue, the hospital’s original address when it fi rst opened in 1952.

Upon completion of the new medical center, the eastern two-thirds of the existing hospital will be demolished to make way for a 400-car patient parking garage, a new entry boulevard and a site for future expansion. The existing West Tower will be remodeled to provide additional space for education, research, logistical services, medical staff facilities and parent stay rooms.

Renovation of the existing lobby and cafeteria will result in a conference and education center and expanded medical library. Renovations will double the research space for the Children’s Foundation Research Center and provide extensive facilities for staff, physician and community education. The Physician Office Building and parking garage at 777 Washington will be retained and used for the UT Medical Group, Inc.’s clinics and offices, physician practices and Le Bonheur administration.

The $327 million facility is the largest investment by a non-profit organization in a free-standing facility in Shelby County. It has been designed around the needs of children and their families. From equipment to colorful artwork and red wagons, Le Bonheur focuses on the special interests and requirements of children and adolescents.

The new hospital will include 225 beds with dedicated units for pediatric intensive care, cardiovascular intensive care and neonatal intensive care. All patient rooms are private and designed to accommodate two parents. The facility will feature many play areas, a mini-movie theatre and a large parent resource center with access to learning materials, the Internet and patient educators.

All diagnostic and treatment services will be located in the new building including a 14-room surgical suite, a two-room cardiac catheterization laboratory, an interventional radiology suite and an endoscopy suite. The Emergency Department will be enlarged to handle expected patient volumes beyond 2014. The existing Emergency Department was built to treat 35,000 patients a year and is currently treating more than 70,000 annually.

The new hospital will be designed to meet updated building code requirements for seismic design which will result in a safer facility that will be more capable of functioning in the event of an earthquake. Construction of the new hospital is expected to last 30 months. Visit the construction Web cam at www.lebonheur.org/growingup to see the new facility being built.