The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Hosted a Beam Signing Ceremony and Announced its Building Hope Campaign for the Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care
Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) October 30, 2013 -- The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia hosted a beam signing ceremony today and announced the beginning of a public appeal for funding assistance as part of the Building Hope campaign for the Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care, a $400 million world-class outpatient facility slated to open in 2015.
“The Buerger family’s $50 million transformational gift marked a milestone in The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s $100 million Building Hope campaign, the largest fundraising initiative for a capital project in the Hospital’s history,” said Mortimer J. Buckley, chair, Board of Trustees at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
“The Buerger family’s philanthropic support and that of the entire community will enable children from Philadelphia and around the world to receive the highest level of pediatric care in this state-of-the-art facility,” said Steven M. Altschuler, M.D., chief executive officer of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Constance and Alan Buerger, and Krista and Reid Buerger will be the first to sign the beam in recognition of their gift announced in June.
“Signing this beam today represents our commitment to the future of pediatric healthcare. The technologically-advanced Buerger Center will offer families exceptional medical care in a family-friendly environment to achieve the ideal patient experience,” said Constance Buerger.
In addition to the Buerger family and Children’s Hospital leadership, Congressman Chaka Fattah (PA-02), Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, Senator Anthony H. Williams, Representative James R. Roebuck, patients and families treated at Children’s Hospital and Hospital employees all added their signatures to the building’s symbolic cornerstone.
The Building Hope campaign, which includes the Buerger family’s gift, has reached $75 million of its $100 million goal. This includes more than $2 million contributed by Hospital employees, and gifts from grateful families like Linda and Dan Farren who want to commemorate their experience at Children’s Hospital by investing in a paving stone in their daughter’s honor, now cancer free following treatment at Children’s Hospital.
“Over the past five years, the staff at CHOP has not only saved our daughter Delaney’s life on numerous occasions but they have also become part of our family,” said Linda Farren. “We couldn’t think of a better way to honor the work that they have done for Delaney and all of the other children than to contribute to this amazing state-of-the-art facility.”
Currently under construction, the 700,000 square-foot Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care will feature 12 floors of integrated clinical care facilities and patient, family, and visitor amenities. At its projected opening in 2015, it will be the most advanced outpatient pediatric medical facility in the world, designed for the ideal patient experience.
Spacious waiting rooms for families will be filled with natural light and dotted with “Wait. Play. Learn.” areas to provide patients and their siblings a venue for educational toys and games. A relaxing 14,000 square-foot roof garden will afford space for recreation as well as rehabilitation sessions, and a 2.6-acre landscaped outdoor plaza will offer a safe open area for play, entertainment and emotional recharging.
Advanced electronic systems will reduce wait times for appointments and expedite registration and checkout, while fully integrated electronic health records will bring the facility closer to a paperless system.
South Campus Overview
The South Campus Research Complex of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia comprises nearly 8 acres of land, which includes both the Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care and the Ruth and Tristram Colket Translational Research Building, completed in 2010.
The South Campus development culminates a far-reaching expansion of physical facilities at Children’s Hospital beginning in 2001, which now doubles the size of the Hospital’s main campus. It has been one of the largest private construction projects in Philadelphia over the past decade.
For more information on the Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care or the Building Hope Campaign, visit http://www.chopbuildinghope.org.
Rachel Salis-Silverman, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, http://www.chop.edu, +1 267-426-6063, [email protected]
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