From casts to cancer – from simple to complex – when your child needs medical care, you want the best. Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU covers nearly every pediatric health care need under the sun. In just a few short years, they’ll provide much of this care in an all-new inpatient hospital adjacent to the outpatient Children’s Pavilion in Richmond.
Chances are, you know a child who has been to CHoR, whether for a general checkup, outpatient therapy, life-saving emergency treatment or ongoing care for a complex medical need. Last year alone, CHoR cared for thousands of children through:
· 275,970 outpatient visits
· 21,818 emergency visits
· 4,333 surgeries
· 6,946 acute care admissions
Building the best place for kids to get better
CHoR continues to grow and evolve to meet the needs of the community. The new hospital will replace the pediatric ER and inpatient units that are currently within VCU Medical Center to provide an exclusively child-centered environment for kids and their families. As a Level 1 pediatric trauma center, it will also have a helipad, along with the specialists and tools to care for the most critically ill and injured children around the clock. In addition to the latest technology and clinical accommodations, the new building is designed to provide the best experience for patients and guests with private rooms and bathrooms, on-site parking, playrooms, outdoor and garden spaces, and performance space for special visitors, parties and musical performances.
Just a few steps away is the outpatient Children’s Pavilion, which opened in 2016. Here, doctors from 53 pediatric sub-specialties see patients for testing, infusions, appointments and same-day surgeries. For families who are seen in the ER or outpatient setting and then admitted for inpatient care, this proximity will make an enormous difference. It will mean a short walk or roll down the hallway, rather than getting in the car or ambulance, or crossing streets on foot. It will also improve efficiencies for the medical team – with less time spent traveling between buildings and more in the rooms with patients.
“We heard our families and our community when they said how critical it was to have a dedicated pediatric inpatient environment close to our award-winning outpatient Children’s Pavilion,” said Elias Neujahr, CEO of CHoR. “When this new building is complete, we’ll have an entire city block dedicated to caring for kids. That’s what it’s all about – the kids.”
Improving lives
In April, CHoR will celebrate its centennial anniversary and rich history of caring for kids from Virginia and beyond. They’re also planning for the future with great promise for what’s to come. Many of CHoR’s doctors and nurses are actively involved in research aimed at improving the understanding and treatment of childhood diseases. This research spans across all of the pediatric specialties, with experts in different conditions and body systems working together. From discovering how to stem the rising tide of obesity to developing new aerosol treatments for cystic fibrosis, they’re finding new ways to make kids’ lives better.
CHoR doctors also keep abreast of the research and clinical trials taking place outside the hospital and across the globe and incorporate them into the care they provide their patients. Twenty-month-old Remy Miller’s parents are grateful for this, as neurologist Dr. Amy Harper was able to provide timely and lifesaving treatment for Remy’s spinal muscular atrophy – a rare genetic disease and leading genetic cause of infant death – almost immediately upon the drug’s FDA approval.
How can you help?
Whether a child has a medical emergency or a chronic condition requiring ongoing treatment, they can turn to CHoR for the best care, regardless of their zip code, background or family’s ability to pay. The new hospital will ensure that the space where they receive this care is also exceptional.
Visit campaign.chrichmond.org to follow the progress of the new hospital and learn how you can get involved in making it the best place possible and support the needs of thousands of families every year.