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Milwaukee, Wis. (5/12/2006) -  As a result of steady, ongoing growth in patient volumes, the board of directors of Children's Hospital of Wisconsin has approved a plan to further add to its facilities. A new 425,000 square foot expansion for patient rooms and specialized clinics will be constructed on the west side of the current facility. The addition will take the 236-bed hospital to 294 beds, with capacity for an additional 72 beds in the future. This phase will include expanded pediatric intensive care units - two 24-bed units - and a larger, more comprehensive Herma Heart Center to provide better care to children with congenital and other cardiac issues. Each floor will feature private rooms to achieve national standards to address family privacy issues and control infections.
Admissions, patient days and outpatient visits all have reached record levels annually and have exceeded projections of expected growth.
In 2005, patient days, a measure of hospital activity, exceeded projections for growth to 2010. Children's Hospital of Wisconsin admitted more than 22,243 children to the hospital, an increase of 13.3 percent over five years. In addition, nearly 250,000 children were seen in the hospital's specialty outpatient clinics, up 46 percent since 2000. In the same five years, the Emergency Department visits and surgical cases have increased 28.2 percent and 14 percent, respectively.
"Children's Hospital of Wisconsin continues to be one of the nation's busiest pediatric hospitals," said John Shiely, chairman of the Children's Hospital and Health System Board. "As the hospital enhances its reputation for excellence in pediatric care, recruits highly recognized and experienced pediatric physicians and expands the service area, we anticipate patient volumes to steadily increase. Our newly approved facilities plan is designed to meet the growing health care needs of children in Wisconsin and beyond."
The expansion will add intensive care beds and private rooms. As units are moved to the new wing, many of the units in the current hospital will be renovated. The renovations to the existing hospital and clinics are expected to begin in 2009.
"The current level of patient activity has stressed our facilities and delivery system resulting in a number of operational challenges," said Jon Vice, president and CEO of Children's Hospital and Health System. "With more than 70 specialty clinics and continued aggressive physician recruitment, current volumes of inpatient admissions and outpatient visits at the hospital make Children's Hospital one of the largest pediatric centers in the country. Our facilities simply have not been able to keep pace with our growth. And, we're in an enviable position today - and will remain so after this expansion - as one of the most cost efficient providers of care among children's hospitals across the country."
"Children's Hospital's total inpatient, surgical and clinic volumes have grown 3.8 and 9 percent each year for the past five years," said David Drury, chairman of the board of Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. "Any business in the country that has experienced that kind of rapid growth also would be investing in infrastructure, including facilities and technology. We need adequate space to continue to provide high quality, accessible and efficient care for children and their families."
Construction is expected to cost $118 million and will be financed through a combination of debt, cash, hospital equity and philanthropy. Facility construction is scheduled to begin in June 2006, with completion anticipated in February 2009.
Architects for the project are Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson and Abbott, Boston, and Zimmerman Design Group, Milwaukee. Boldt Construction of Waukesha is the construction manager. Other members of the construction team include Graef, Anhalt, Schloemmer (civil engineering), Ring and Duchatau (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) and Harwood Engineers (structural).
Children's Corporate Center, a new office building located at 92nd Street and Connell Ave., one block west of the current hospital, opened in September 2005. Offices have been moved from the hospital and clinics building into the new Children's Corporate Center. At the same time the hospital is being expanded, the vacated space in the current hospital and in the clinics building is being renovated to accommodate the increasing need for clinical space.
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