Signaling a major milestone in the progress of its $1.1 billion hospital expansion, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford held its “topping off” ceremony on Jan. 14 to mark the completion of the structural phase of its 521,000-sq.-ft. expansion.

The original hospital, with 293,000 square feet, opened in 1991, and is one of the youngest, most successful children’s hospitals in the United States. Now, work begins on the interior of the new main building, which will open for patients in early 2017. The expansion nearly doubles the size of the existing facility, and allows for up to 361 beds onsite, including private patient rooms, family-friendly amenities, advanced technologies, expanded clinics and an environmentally sensitive design.

“More than 30 years ago, Lucile Salter Packard had a vision to create a world-renowned hospital with the sole focus on caring for children and their families,” said Christopher G. Dawes, president and CEO of Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and Stanford Children’s Health. “We’re proud to take that vision forward with a hospital that will bring our award-winning and family-focused care to the more than 1 million children who live in the region, and for the thousands of families who come to us from all over the world.”

The “topping off” ceremony is part of a longstanding tradition in construction, one that occurs when the highest piece of steel is placed on the new building’s frame. More than 1200 construction workers, donors, hospital staff, executives and medical staff were among those who signed the beam before it was hoisted by a crane to its position at the top of the building.

“The Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford expansion is a reflection of the forward-thinking transformation that our Stanford Medicine faculty physicians strive to bring to health care every day,” said Lloyd Minor, MD, dean of the Stanford School of Medicine. “The innovative and sustainable design enhances our ability to streamline the process of bringing new therapies and innovative treatment strategies to the children and expectant mothers who need it most.”

Delivering Extraordinary Clinical Care with a Family Focus

Stanford Children’s Health and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford offer one of the only networks in the country exclusively dedicated to pediatric and obstetric care. When complete, the hospital will feature state-of-the-art diagnostic and imaging equipment and an adaptable design that will accommodate cutting-edge protocols and future equipment technologies. In addition to setting the standard for sustainability in hospital design, the new facility will also bring many natural and family-friendly elements to patients – including 3.5 acres of healing gardens and green space, private rooms with sleeping space for two parents, quiet waiting areas, engaging playrooms and public spaces with large windows and access to decks and patios.

About Stanford Children’s Health and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford

Stanford Children’s Health, with Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford at its core, is an internationally recognized leader in world-class, nurturing care and extraordinary outcomes in every pediatric and obstetric specialty from the routine to rare, for every child and pregnant woman. Together with our Stanford Medicine physicians, nurses, and staff, we deliver this innovative care and research through partnerships, collaborations, outreach, specialty clinics and primary care practices at more than 200 locations in the U.S. western region. As a non-profit, we are committed to supporting our community – from caring for uninsured or underinsured kids, homeless teens and pregnant moms, to helping re-establish school nurse positions in local schools. Learn more about our full range of preeminent programs and network of care at stanfordchildrens.org, and on our Healthier, Happy Lives blog. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford is the heart of Stanford Children’s Health, and is one of the nation’s top hospitals for the care of children and expectant mothers. For a decade, we have received the highest specialty rankings of any Northern California children’s hospital, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2014-15 Best Children’s Hospitals survey, and are the only hospital in Northern California to receive the national 2013 Leapfrog Group Top Children’s Hospital award for quality and patient care safety. Discover more at stanfordchildrens.org.

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