Newly Expanded Nemours/Alfred I duPont Hospital for Children Welcomes First Patients

News provided by

Nemours

Nov 04, 2014, 10:00 ET


Wilmington, DE (PRWEB) November 04, 2014 -- After more than 3 years of construction and months of preparatory work, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children transitioned more than 100 patients from its existing building into the newly expanded portion of the hospital. Over the course of eight hours on Saturday, November 1 teams of Nemours Associates systematically moved patients from the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, the Blood & Bone Marrow Transplant unit and all five inpatient general medical/surgical units into the 450,000 square foot expansion. The hospital’s new Emergency Department opened to new patients on November 2, nearly doubling the hospital’s capacity to treat emergencies. The new space was designed by families, for families and features all single-patient rooms, an expanded Emergency Department and pediatric intensive care unit, the soaring 5-story Anthony N. Fusco, Sr, Atrium, and the state of the art Discovery Zone presented by DuPont.

Key Facts

  • In August 2011, Nemours kicked off the 450,000 sq ft expansion of the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children.
  • This project was designed by families, for families and creates an environment that promotes healing and advances the quality of care provided at the Hospital.
  • The total project cost was approximately $270M, all of which Nemours paid in full.
  • The expanded hospital features 144 single-patient rooms with distinct zones in each room for the patient, family and caregiver.
  • An 188 space underground parking garage offers easy access for families in a climate-controlled environment.
  • The emergency department nearly doubled in size, growing from 24 bays to 44 bays.
  • The design emphasizes light and natural elements to improve healing. This includes the soaring 5 story Anthony N. Fusco Sr. Atrium and the rooftop healing garden.
  • The Discovery Zone presented by DuPont is an interactive wall that uses the latest technology to create a living garden, complete with changing seasons and weather patterns.
  • The existing hospital building was built in 1984 and will continue to serve as the hub for neonatal intensive care, cardiac care and ambulatory services.

Construction by the numbers:

  • # of micropiles drilled into the bedrock to support the expansion = 1,003
  • Tons of rock and other material excavated from the site = 113,000
  • Tons of structural steel included in the project = 2,534
  • Capacity of underground cisterns to control rainwater runoff = 220,000 gallons
  • Skanska USA Building is the general contractor for the Expansion.
  • FKP Architects is the architect for the Expansion

Quote(s)
“Perhaps the most important lesson we’ve learned over the years is that the happiness of a child is as important as the science behind her care. At Nemours we treat children, not just disease. As guardians of children’s hope and joy, we’ve created spaces that allow children to be children and provide respite from courses of medical care already robbing too much of childhood. The real power of these lessons becomes evident as one enters the newly expanded hospital. You’ll feel it in your heart, this place is different.”
-- David J. Bailey, MD, MBA, President & CEO, Nemours

“This spectacular new facility was designed and built for the sole purpose of providing a better patient and family experience, not because we needed more beds. And it provides the space we need to do our best work. And it will do so for the next generation of patients and families that need us”.
-- Roy Proujansky, MD, Executive Vice President & COO, Nemours

“It was moving to watch the dynamics of the families, staff, and architects working together. Tears were often shared as families described their journeys and why they would choose specific details of a room based on previous stays. Our perspective truly helped the architects understand the nuances of daily life caring for a critically ill or differently abled child.”
-- Lisa Stammerjohann, Parent Co-chair, duPont Hospital for Children Family Advisory Council

“This project has been five years in the making, and is another example of how Nemours is investing for the future and meeting the needs of our patients and families. It is also another example of the significant commitment Nemours continues to make in support of children in Delaware and throughout the Delaware Valley.”
--Terri Kelly, President & CEO, W.L. Gore and Associates and member of the Nemours Board of Directors

Additional Resources

 
Multimedia

On November 1, 2014 Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children transitioned more than 100 patients into the hospital’s 450,000 sq ft expansion. The Emergency Department opened to patients the following morning.
Expansion images are available on Flickr: https://flic.kr/s/aHsk5Lx4Ks

About Nemours

Nemours (NAH-mors) is an internationally recognized children’s health system that owns and operates the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware and the Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, Florida along with major pediatric specialty clinics in Delaware, Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Established as The Nemours Foundation through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. du Pont, Nemours offers pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy and prevention programs to all families in the communities it serves. For more information, visit http://www.Nemours.org

Chris Manning, Nemours, +1 (302) 298-2723, [email protected]