Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital saw its operating room expansion open to patients on Thursday morning.
The expansion included the addition of four new operating rooms with space to add three more and is part of a $16 million expansion taking place on the east side of the hospital.
Construction began last summer on the 32,000 square foot addition, which addresses the growing need for pediatric surgical services at Le Bonheur.
Over the past ten years Le Bonheur has seen its surgical volumes grow, serving as the only ACS Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center in the region and home to the largest pediatric surgical brain tumor program in partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The expansion includes renovated central sterile storage. Central sterile storage is now adjacent to the new operating rooms, allowing for better workflow and efficiency.
Construction will continue in the following areas:
- Sterile processing is expanding on the ground floor in response to increased surgical procedures. Improvements in this area will include the addition of a new washer to its decontamination area, additional sterilizers and new and improved pre-pack stations.
- A state-of-the art physician’s lounge which will provide doctors with a collaborative space adjacent to the operating rooms
- A new satellite pharmacy on the 2nd floor, adjacent to the operating rooms. This pharmacy will be staffed by a pediatric pharmacist and will provide faster access and better care for Le Bonheur’s surgical patients.
- A pediatric dental clinic in partnership with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s Department of Pediatric Dentistry. The clinic will be located on the lobby level of the hospital and will include nine spaces for preventative and operative dentistry, as well, as oral surgery. Once opened, UTHSC pediatric dental residents will train in the clinic.
Construction is set to be complete early summer.
