Penn State Hershey breaks ground for new Children's Hospital

Photo by Ken Smith Harold L. Paz, chief executive officer of Penn State Hershey Medical Center, senior vice president for health affairs at Penn State, and dean of the Penn State College of Medicine; and Gov. Edward G. Rendell arrive at the groundbreaking for the freestanding Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. For more photos, click on the image above.

On Nov. 13, Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital celebrated the groundbreaking for its new 252,000-square-foot, five-story facility with the announcement of major funding commitments from private donors and state government, as well as a festive groundbreaking ceremony attended by several hundred patients, contributors and staff.

The ceremony, which included inspirational comments by young patients from Lancaster, York and Dauphin counties who have received life-saving care from Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital, featured a Cirque de Soleil-inspired performance by WonderWorld Entertainment and a commitment of state funding from Pennsylvania’s governor

“Through the support of government, generous donors, community partners and the tireless dedication of our caring physicians and staff, the new Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital will soon become a reality,” said Harold L. Paz, chief executive officer for Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State’s senior vice president for health affairs and dean of Penn State College of Medicine. “No child or family should have to leave the region to obtain the finest pediatric specialty care. The new Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital means children and families in central Pennsylvania will have a world-class pediatric facility to match the comprehensive and compassionate care they have come to expect from us."

During his remarks, Governor Edward G. Rendell announced $14 million in public improvement funds from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to support construction of the new Children’s Hospital.

“Today’s groundbreaking is great news for the region,” said Rendell. “For children and their families, not only will this new facility provide exceptional care, it will provide a measure of comfort during what can be a trying time, because it’s designed for them to meet their needs. For the region’s economy, this project represents a sizable investment locally that will help create 1,500 jobs -- 300 during the construction phase and another 1,200 after it’s completed. The Commonwealth invests in these kinds of projects because they open the door to new opportunities for our residents and create a better quality of life in our communities.”

The nearly $207 million facility will be built adjacent to the Medical Center’s main entrance. The design is child-friendly with a look and feel appropriate for young patients and their families.

The facility will include five operating suites designed for surgical care of children and adolescents, an eight-bed surgical recovery area, a cardiac catheterization lab for pediatric heart patients (all located on the second floor), as well as significantly expanded space for pediatric intensive care -- vital infrastructure to support the role of Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital as the region’s only Level One Pediatric Trauma Center.

The first floor of the new Children’s Hospital will include an outpatient pediatric cancer pavilion with 11 infusion rooms and eight exam rooms to support bone marrow transplantation and other therapies vital to treating children with cancer. Both the pavilion and an 18-bed inpatient unit for hematology/oncology patients located on the third floor are supported by a $10 million philanthropic gift from the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON). The first floor also features educational resource centers for families, including a “safety store” and areas for families to learn about childhood illnesses, health and wellness.

The ground floor includes a new pediatric radiology unit, as well as a state-of-the-art blood bank and pharmacy, which will serve both children and adults.
In addition to critical patient care areas, there are several elements planned throughout the new Children’s Hospital to provide children and families with a distraction from their worries about illness or injury. These elements include a meditation room, an outdoor roof terrace with green plants, and an interactive learning wall located on the hospital’s first floor.

All of the inpatient rooms, which are located on the third and fourth floors, will be private rooms and include space for parents to spend the night with their child.

“Penn State has always been committed to enhancing the quality of life for those we serve, and the new Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital is the embodiment of our service mission,” said Penn State President Graham Spanier. “From patient rooms that allow parents to stay overnight with their children to special pediatric surgical suites to an outpatient pediatric cancer pavilion, this hospital will advance the extraordinary care that has made Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital a leader in pediatric medicine.”

Currently, Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital primarily occupies the Medical Center’s seventh floor. While the care provided within the current facility has earned national recognition, the facilities originally were designed for adult patients rather than children and families. Many of the existing patient rooms do not accommodate parents who wish to stay overnight with their children. Areas such as the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) have become cramped, offering minimal privacy and no room for growth of services.

Payette and Associates, the Boston-based architectural firm that designed the new Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute facility, created the designs for the new Children’s Hospital. L.F. Driscoll Co. of Bala Cynwyd, Pa., will serve as the construction management firm for the project. The Medical Center plans to seek LEED certification for the Children’s Hospital, in recognition of its environmentally-friendly design.

Site preparation will begin in the next few weeks, with excavation and construction expected to start in February 2010. The completed Children’s Hospital is scheduled to open during fall 2012.

The Children’s Hospital groundbreaking ceremony was sponsored by several individuals and organizations -- Jeanne Donlevy and Edward H. Arnold; Suzy and Jim Broadhurst; Peter and Marnie Carlino; Eat’n Park Hospitality Group; Hershey Entertainment & Resorts; Highmark; Penn National Gaming, Inc.; and PNC.

For photos, visit http://live.psu.edu/stilllife/2182 online.