CINCINNATI — At a time when children's hospitals across Ohio have their hands full treating children with COVID-19, one of them is about to add more hospital beds.


What You Need To Know

  • A virtual ribbon cutting is happening Monday for the new Critical Care Building at Cincinnati Children's Hospital

  • There will be more than 60 treatment rooms and more than 240 private rooms

  • Families gave input throughout the project

  • The hospital is still putting finishing touches in the building, so it will officially be taking patients in November

 

A virtual ribbon cutting is happening Monday for the new Critical Care Building at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

Inside this new eight-story, $600 million facility is where you’ll find an emergency department and more than 60 treatment rooms, all of which are separated by five different teams.

“Even as much of health care has moved to outpatient settings or even now Telehealth, the sickest children, the ones with the most complex conditions need extraordinary care,” said Michael Fisher, Cincinnati Children's Hospital president and CEO. 

Fisher, his team and other community partners have been working on this project for the past six years. In 2018, the groundbreaking on the project began.

“We have a family advisory council and really every step of the way in the design was giving their input on exactly what might be helpful for them in the room,” he said. 

In addition to the treatment rooms, there are more than 240 private rooms for complex patients. Many of their critical and fragile patients are hospitalized for weeks or months at a time. And that’s why they made sure the square footage of the rooms is 50% bigger than before and have access to their own private bathrooms.

“They’re going to see in the patient rooms much more space, touches and capabilities that will meet the families' needs who is there as such a critical part of the care team,” he said. 

Patients and their families will also have access to family support spaces which include things like a lounge area and a business center. There’s even a patient garden and vibrant artwork across the campus with a kaleidoscope theme. 

“They’re going to say it’s bright,” he said. “There’s a lot of natural light, and it’s got warm and beautiful colors — the spirit of the kaleidoscope.”

Over the next couple of months, the hospital will be adding the finishing touches to ensure it’s ready for staff and patients. The care center will officially open in November.

“To have this as we head toward our 150th birthday and for generations to come this is going to be such a tremendous resource for the critically ill children of this community and frankly around the world,” he said.