Since Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus opened almost four years ago, it has become one of the most active pediatric hospitals in the Houston area, and all indications point toward continued growth.
To keep meeting the steady increase in demand and community growth, Chanda Cashen Chacón, West Campus’ new leader, recently announced an aggressive capital improvement project. The project, approved by Texas Children’s Board of Directors, will cost an estimated $50 million and will focus on three key areas – inpatient capacity, ambulatory capacity and supporting hospital infrastructure.
“At the West Campus we are dedicated to the patients and families we serve, the process in which we serve them and our overall outcome,” Chacón said. “To accomplish all three of these things well, we need to continue to expand the facility that allows us to further our commitment to the community. This capital expansion project will ensure that promise continues.”
The first phase of the project includes a $16 million, 18-bed expansion of the hospital’s acute care capacity. The new unit will include an eight-bed special isolation unit designed for children with highly contagious infectious diseases, such as pandemic influenza, entervirus D68, Ebola and many others. The design for the acute care and special isolation unit is in the approval process and construction is anticipated to begin in May. The unit should be up and running by October.
“This unique unit will be an indispensable resource to our local community, Texas and our region,” Chacón said. “Taking care of some of the sickest children in our hospital system is one of our top priorities.”
In addition to the new acute care and special isolation units, the first phase of the capital project will include the following five projects, which are estimated to cost $6.9 million and be completed by the end of the year:
- Create dedicated suite for Interventional Radiology services
- Design shell space for OR/PACU expansion
- Convert 13 offices within existing clinics into clinic exam space
- Build office and administrative support space for dedicated physicians and providers
The second phase of the capital improvement project will include the following four projects, which are estimated to cost $27.1 million and be completed by the end of 2017:
- Build additional 24 acute-care beds
- Build four additional operating rooms and expand pre-operative and post-operative areas
- Equip all beds in critical care unit
- Expand clinics to support OR expansion
“Most of these projects are in the design phase or will be soon,” Chacón said. “We look forward to continuing to serve our patients and families.”