Yesterday Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) announced a major expansion plan off its Main Campus, calling for the construction of a new inpatient hospital in King of Prussia. Madeline Bell, president and CEO, made the announcement at a press conference held at CHOP’s existing King of Prussia facility which is a specialty care and surgery center.
“CHOP was founded in 1855 as the first hospital in the U.S. dedicated to caring for children,” said Madeline Bell, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “Since that time, we have grown our inpatient and outpatient services at several locations within the City of Philadelphia and extended our regional reach with creation of the CHOP Care Network, including more than 50 pediatrician offices, specialty care and surgical centers, and community hospital alliances in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.”
“Today’s announcement marks a recognition of the ever-growing demand for world-class pediatric care closer to home,” Bell continued. “CHOP’s new inpatient hospital will serve families living everywhere from the Philadelphia suburbs, to south and central New Jersey, as well as Delaware, to Lancaster, Berks and Lehigh Counties and beyond, providing convenient access to the highest quality hospital services available for children.”
The new hospital will be adjacent to and operate seamlessly with CHOP’s existing King of Prussia Specialty Care & Surgery Center and Urgent Care Center, located on South Goddard Boulevard in Upper Merion Township. Plans for the new 250,000 square-foot inpatient hospital include the following:
- 52 inpatient beds, consisting of a 16-bed pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) — allowing for safe escalation of care without transfer to CHOP’s Main Campus in University City — and 36-bed medical surgical unit
- Care for a broad range of pediatric specialties, including orthopaedics, plastic surgery and ear, nose and throat (ENT)
- A 24/7, 20-bay emergency department specializing in pediatric care
- An operating room suite consisting of up to four operating rooms, specializing in elective services requiring overnight stays
- Comprehensive radiology services
- Transitional care for chronic complex patients with assisted breathing
The inpatient hospital on the King of Prussia campus is expected to be operational in 2021.