New Phoenix Children's Hospital - Now Third-Largest Children's Hospital in the Nation - is Just What the Doctor Ordered to Serve Booming Pediatric Population in the Southwest

PHOENIX, June 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With Arizona facing its share of tragedies lately – economically, politically and most recently the wildfires which have impacted thousands of residents – the community has found comfort in rallying together to celebrate the grand opening of the new Phoenix Children's Hospital. The campus of Arizona's only hospital 100 percent for children grew from 345 licensed beds to 465, and will ultimately house 626 licensed beds at full build-out, expected in 2013.

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The grand opening is highlighted by a unique strategic alliance with neighboring St. Joseph's Hospital, making Phoenix Children's Hospital the largest freestanding children's hospital in the Southwest and the third-largest in the nation, behind Texas Children's Hospital and Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

Completing the strategic alliance to unite the two organizations' pediatric programs, a total of 28 St. Joseph's pediatric specialists and approximately 300 additional staff became employees of Phoenix Children's. With a total medical staff of more than 1,000 pediatricians, Phoenix Children's Hospital is well equipped to serve the health care needs of children.

Offering nearly 30 years of excellent outcomes, Phoenix Children's Hospital now begins a new era in enhanced patient care marked by comprehensive Centers of Excellence, led by the nation's most respected pediatric physicians who have come from established medical institutions all over the world. Recently, five clinical programs at Phoenix Children's Hospital were listed in U.S. News & World Report's Best Children's Hospitals rankings.

"Arizona needs and deserves a leading provider of complex and specialty care dedicated to children to support the tremendous population growth ahead," said Robert L. Meyer, President and CEO of Phoenix Children's. "Phoenix Children's Hospital stands as a symbol of hope and healing for the children and families."

In 2006, Phoenix Children's Hospital recognized the looming pediatric population boom that was facing Arizona, a trend unique to the Southwest that would necessitate hundreds of more beds and leave many children underserved if not addressed. In Arizona, the Maricopa Association of Governments estimated the number of children in Maricopa County was expected to swell to more than 1.5 million by 2030, compared to about one million at the time. Nationwide, children's hospital admissions increased by 12 percent from 2005 to 2009, based on the annual survey by the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions.

To address this critical condition, the new 11-story patient tower at Phoenix Children's Hospital features private patient rooms, expanded clinic space, state-of-the-art operating rooms, cutting-edge pediatric radiology technology, a new Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and a separate Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit to support the Hospital's growing Children's Heart Center. The Hospital offers some of the industry's most advanced and complex technologies in pediatric medicine, including one of the nation's first 256-slice CT scanners (Philips Brilliance iCT scanner).

The new Phoenix Children's Hospital is also setting a new benchmark in sustainable healthcare design and operations, with a Central Energy Plant that will conserve more than 5.6 million gallons of water annually and save nearly $11 million in energy costs over the next 15 years. This Central Energy Plant's unique technology is the first healthcare application of its kind in a facility of this size in the U.S., although it is widely used in Saudi Arabia.

Construction costs for the new tower totaled $370 million, $50 million under original budget. The complete expansion, which also includes renovation of existing buildings and the addition of satellite centers, totals $538 million. The hospital was designed by architects HKS Inc., and the general contractor is Kitchell. Both were selected for their extensive experience with healthcare projects.

"We cast a bold vision to offer the most comprehensive pediatric care by attracting world-class physicians, conducting innovative research and advancing education and training for clinical providers," said Meyer. "Today we find ourselves setting a new standard in children's health care in a setting that's 100 percent for children."

About Phoenix Children's Hospital

Phoenix Children's Hospital, ranked in U.S. News & World Report's Best Children's Hospitals, is Arizona's only licensed children's hospital, providing world-class care in more than 40 pediatric specialties to children from throughout the state and region. Phoenix Children's expansion has met the needs of the Southwest's rapid population growth. The signature element of the expansion is a new 11-story, 750,000-square-foot tower which will enable the hospital to grow from 345 licensed beds today to a total of 626 licensed beds once the project is complete. The hospital's expansion also includes an aggressive physician recruitment effort and new satellite centers in high-growth areas of the Valley. For more information, visit the hospital's web site at www.phoenixchildrens.com.

SOURCE Phoenix Children's Hospital

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