Children’s Hospital Expansion on Track

By Michael O’Connor, Omaha World-Herald, Neb.

Jul. 22–A $55 million expansion at Children’s Hospital that will provide more space for outpatient care remains on track for completion by early 2010.

The five-level outpatient building and a new parking garage are being built at 84th Street and West Dodge Road. They will be connected to the hospital.

The project started in January. Work has focused on the three-level parking garage that will provide 364 stalls for the outpatient building.

Construction of the steel frame of the 135,000-square-foot outpatient building will start by late this year or early 2009, said Vanessa Walls, a vice president of Children’s.

The new building will be used for specialty outpatient clinics, like those now serving children with heart and lung disorders, cancer and developmental disabilities.

Such clinics now share quarters with physicians’ offices in the hospital’s Scott Pavilion. And some specialists’ offices are located off-campus. Existing clinics will move to the new building, and the pavilion will be converted to physician and staff offices when the new space is ready, Walls said.

The project will allow more office and clinic space for pediatric specialists from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Creighton University Medical Center. That means fewer patients should have to leave the Children’s campus for care or consultation.

There also will be some new clinics, but the hospital has not determined which ones, Walls said.

The new building will have an area called Kids Camp for siblings of children who have appointments. The play area will be supervised by hospital staff and volunteers. It will have activities, toys and electronic games.

The new building also will have an infusion center for children receiving medicine intravenously for cancer and other conditions. Such treatments are now administered at various areas in the hospital.

Having a single spot will enable children and their parents to interact with other patients and their families.

–Contact the writer: 444-1122, michael.oconnor@owh.com

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Copyright (c) 2008, Omaha World-Herald, Neb.

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