Cincinnati Children's undergoing $365 million expansion
Renovation at the hospital will add eight new rooms for imaging, which is designed to improve patient flow.
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Cincinnati Children's Hospital plans a major expansion at its Liberty Campus, which will double inpatient capacity and add surgical operating rooms as part of a $365 million project.
The project will also include construction of a large medical office building next to the hospital, accommodating numerous outpatient specialty clinics.
Officials said that by moving services closer to home, access will be improved, and the new construction and renovations to the existing structures will feature more advanced technology.
Site preparation will start in March 2025, and construction will begin this summer on the four-story medical office building. Many of the clinical services that will be based there are already available at the Liberty Campus, but relocating them to the medical office building is expected to free up space in the hospital.
The medical office building is scheduled for completion in 2027.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT?
Renovation of more than 100,000 square feet of existing space at the hospital will add eight new rooms for imaging when it's completed in summer 2029, which is designed to improve patient flow.
The renovation also will allow for expansion of the pharmacy, lab and Sterile Processing Department as well as an increase in administrative and education spaces plus an outdoor dining area. Construction will also include a new lobby and patient drop-off spot.
At least 250 new jobs will be created at the Liberty Campus over five years as a result of the expansion, officials said. Currently, more than 1,025 Cincinnati Children's employees work at the Liberty Campus. Overall employment at Cincinnati Children's is 19,500.
Cincinnati Children's estimates the initial investment in the entire Liberty Campus expansion will be $365 million, which includes design, construction and medical equipment.
THE LARGER TREND
Cincinnati Children's opened the 61-acre Liberty Campus in 2008. In 2010, the campus opened an inpatient unit, which enabled children to be admitted for more than one night. An Urgent Care was added in 2014.
An expansion of the Liberty Campus in 2015 increased the number of beds from 12 to 42. And in 2016 at the Liberty Campus, Cincinnati Children's opened a Proton Therapy Center.
ON THE RECORD
"In the very first year that Cincinnati Children's Liberty Campus was open, the patients we cared for had approximately 109,000 visits," said Chief Operating Officer Dr. Evaline Alessandrini. "Now, our Liberty Campus has nearly tripled in volume of care delivered – with more than 282,000 patient encounters a year, including an average of 60 surgeries a day. As more and more families who live near the Liberty Campus or in surrounding areas rely on our teams, we are investing in the resources needed to continue to provide access to the best outcomes by the best people.
Jeff Lagasse is editor of Healthcare Finance News.
Email: jlagasse@himss.org
Healthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.
