MetroKids got a sneak peek of CHOP's new digs. Here's the scoop.
On July 27, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia will officially open the doors of its new, kid-friendly outpatient pediatric care facility to the public.
The Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care, situated across from the main hospital on Civic Center Boulevard, is designed to act as a “happy distraction” to being at the hospital, says Tom Dole, senior vice president of outpatient and clinical services. The facility, which he describes as “bright, playful and childlike,” boasts interactive features such as touch-screen technology that lets patients use their hands and feet as they wait to see a doctor and a maze-like pathway that meanders from a ramp in the lobby. Kids can also play on the two-story rock-climbing wall or relax on the center’s rooftop garden.
The facility, which began construction 10 years ago with a $50 million donation from the Buerger family, is designed to be easily navigable by establishing “clinical neighborhoods," where specialties such as hematology and oncology are grouped together. These pairings also make collaboration between concentrations easier. Five of the building’s 12 stories will be unveiled Monday, while the following two floors should be in use by the end of 2016. CHOP staff members plan to finish the facility by 2018.
CHOP hopes the Buerger Center’s close proximity to other main campus buildings — such as the Colket Translational Research Building, Wood Center and Seashore House — will further integrate pediatric care with research. The facility is an example of “moving care close to home,” Dole claims. Fun features like the rooftop garden and rock wall, paired with CHOP’s pediatric care, aim to create “a happy and healthy environment for each child who walks through the doors.”
