Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is opening its new eight-story patient care tower Oct. 4, which expands capacity by 249 beds and comes with several medical and design innovations, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
"This building was constructed with the knowledge that for the most critically ill children, seconds and minutes count," said Michael Fisher, CEO of the hospital. "This is a world class building."
The expansion is a total 632,500 square feet and triples the emergency department to 90,000 square feet, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. The rooms are private and are 50 percent bigger than in the current building.
On the roof is a helipad with elevators to bring children directly to the emergency department.
The addition also has exercise rooms, showers, gardens, family lounges on each floor, business centers and laundry facilities. In the neonatal intensive care unit, there are special lights that support sleep cycles by mimicking sunrise and sunset.
A total of 410 people will work in the building, officials said, and 349 have already been hired.
While planning the expansion, the hospital also agreed to spend $11.5 million to improve community and pediatric health in the historically Black neighborhood. This included a renovation of 14 nearby houses.