Stanford Children's Health opens doors to new $47 million specialty center

Stanford Children’s Health Specialty Services-Sunnyvale houses more than 20 clinical subspecialties.

Stanford Children's Health, located in Northern California, opened the doors to a new pediatric specialty center in Sunnyvale this week, the system announced.

The center is the largest of the 10 located in the Bay area that provide access to Stanford Children's Health clinicians. The hope is to bring follow-up and ongoing care closer to where pediatric patients live, as well as expand access to care for couples dealing with fertility issues.

Stanford Children's Health Specialty Services – Sunnyvale houses more than 20 clinical subspecialties, including endocrinology, dermatology, urology, pediatric development, and adolescent medicine. It features an EEG and pulmonary function lab, a phototherapy room and a radiology suite with ultrasound, fluoroscopy and bone density scanning. A high-tech lab is dedicated to the diagnosis and rehabilitation of sports injuries in young athletes, including concussions. There are also large and comfortable exam rooms, adjacent changing rooms, adaptable meeting spaces, and vibrant decor to make the facility family-friendly overall, the system said.

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Other features include a 6,000-square-foot Pediatric Motion and Sports Performance Lab which analyzes and rehabilitates children with neuromuscular disorders or sports injuries. It also allows researchers to study the science of movement in young people, as well as state-of-the-art technology for the study and treatment of concussions.

Stanford Medicine Fertility and Reproductive Health, which provides reproductive endocrinology and fertility services, now boasts 10 exam rooms, 5 consultation rooms, 2 treatment suites and a telemedicine suite. The IVF lab suite houses specialized equipment and features a state-of-the-art air filtration system, specifically designed for IVF application, making for an optimal environment for embryo culture and ultimate IVF success.

"The lab and facilities are unmatched," said Barry Behr, director of the IVF laboratory. "By consolidating into one suite and incorporating new technologies, we will be more comfortable for patients, streamline our workflow and be more efficient in our procedures, which may lead to better outcomes."

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Recreation therapy, social services, nutrition, and on-call interpreters are onsite for immediate access, as well as transportation to and from the nearby CalTrain station, a private lactation room, and large locker rooms with showers for staff.

"Nationally, 16 percent of children require some kind of specialty care. Of the more than 500,000 visits to Stanford Children's Health facilities, including Packard Children's Hospital last year, over half were specialty care visits. These are chronic, complex and rare conditions that require ongoing care from pediatricians with special training in these complex illnesses – and often require inconvenient travel to access those specialists," the system said in a statement.

According to Stanford Children's spokesperson Samantha Dorman, the specialty center carried a $47 million price tag, which was budgeted from Lucile Packard Children's Hospital's reserves. There was no fundraising or loans.

Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford is the centerpiece of the Stanford Children's Health enterprise, which includes 65 network locations and community hospital partnerships across the region.

Twitter: @BethJSanborn