Thursday, May 07, 2015
Driscoll Children’s Hospital has been a beacon of hope and healing in the heart of South Texas for more than 60 years. Courtesy of an $80 million construction project, that beacon is only going to grow brighter and stronger in the future.
The Robert Driscoll and Julia Driscoll and Robert Driscoll, Jr. Foundation Board of Trustees and the Driscoll Children’s Hospital Governing Board of Directors approved an exciting venture that will add a 70,000 square foot building to the front of the hospital and ensure Driscoll’s spot as the premier location for the care and well-being of South Texas infants and children.
“There’s no doubt that Driscoll Children’s Hospital is the top source of medical care for the children in South Texas, and this massive project ensures it will be that way well into the future,” said Sam L. Susser, Chairman of the Robert Driscoll and Julia Driscoll and Robert Driscoll, Jr. Foundation Board of Trustees. “It’s exciting that our boards enthusiastically approved this multi-phased project. It’s an honor and a privilege to have such whole-hearted support.”
“One of our constant goals is to make sure Driscoll is family-centered and the ideal place for providing the best possible care for infants, children and their families,” Loyd Neal, Chairman of the Driscoll Children’s Hospital Governing Board of Directors said. “These additions are all being made with those thoughts firmly in mind, and they ensure we keep the hospital pointed in that direction.”
The monumental project, which will break ground in 2016, will add a two-story, 70,000 square foot building to the front side of the hospital and will house a new Outpatient Surgery center and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
The first floor of the new building will be home to a new Outpatient Surgery center and new Outpatient Lab. The new PICU will feature 16 patient-centered private rooms, accommodating more privacy and an even higher level of technology. It all will be connected to the hospital’s main lobby by a concourse.
The new building will be adjacent to an expanded and renovated Operating Room (OR). The renovation will provide two additional OR suites and give the hospital a self-contained OR with supply and equipment areas and sterile processing center all centrally located.
“This project will give the entire hospital an even better flow for our patients and their families,” Driscoll Children’s Hospital President and CEO Steve Woerner said. “Adding a new Outpatient Surgery center and PICU that is all adjacent to an expanded OR enhances the delivery of care we can provide for our patients and better meets the needs of our physicians.”
Any visit to a hospital can be a stressful time for children and their families. The PICU’s private rooms will help to make the experience as pleasant as possible for everyone involved.
“Being able to have private rooms for our patients and families is beneficial for their emotional well-being when children need intensive critical care,” Woerner said. “Having your own private room allows the families to relax a little bit more and focus on healing.”
In additional phases of the vast construction project, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Radiology waiting areas will be upgraded to make those spaces more child-friendly and family-oriented. The project also will include enhancements throughout the hospital, including a relocation of the hospital’s helipad and an expansion of the parking garage.
The prodigious construction project also gives Driscoll flexibility for additions in the future. The new building will be a two-story structure with the capability of expanding to five floors during the second phase of construction. This will enable Driscoll to offer even more services for infants, children, women and their families.
“This is all part of our continued growth,” Woerner said. “We’re looking to the future and making sure we provide the highest level of care for the children and families of South Texas. This project is part of the ongoing modernization of the hospital and will continue to make Driscoll Children’s Hospital a place for hope and healing.”
The generosity of South Texans has ensured that Driscoll has been the area’s leader in children’s medical care since 1953.
“We are blessed with the support of the community,” Woerner said. “South Texas has embraced Driscoll Children’s Hospital for more than 60 years. It’s humbling to see the impact this community has allowed us to have in the lives of the children we serve, and projects like this allow us to continue to grow and be a part of the incredibly strong fabric of South Texas.”
driscollchildrens.org
