$15M Pediatric ER expansion in the works for USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital

Bis changes are coming for the USA Health Children’s and Women’s pediatric ER! Just last week, USA Health announced that the Alabama Certificate of Need Review Board finalized and approved USA Health’s plans to expand and renovate the Pediatric Emergency Center. These renovations will more than double the current capacity of Children’s & Women’s ER facility!

About Children’s & Women’s

USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital is the only inpatient pediatric facility in the region offering specialized emergency care 24/7, a level III neonatal ICU, pediatric ICU, and high risk obstetrics. Children’s and Women’s also delivers the most babies in the entire Mobile area.

“The people in our region have come to rely on the specialized care that only is available at USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital. For many, our pediatric emergency center is the gateway to resolving their child’s medical issue. We are excited about having the opportunity to meeting those healthcare needs and hopefully providing some additional peace of mind to families in the upper Gulf Coast area.”

Owen Bailey, MHA, FACHE. CEO of USA Health.

USA Chilren’s and Women’s operates as a backbone of pediatric care in Lower Alabama, so revitalizing their facilities is a must. Let’s take a look at the plan.

Expansion Plans

With approval secured, USA Health is looking to begin renovations in early 2022 and finish mid-2023. The price tag is looking like $15 million, with about $10 million already secured via donations.

USA Health is an academically-affiliated healthcare network, which is a fancy way of saying teaching hospital. That being said, a good bit of renovations are committed to strengthening educational and training opportunities for not only medical students, but for veteran doctors as well.

Physically, the emergency department is getting a major upgrade, taking the space from its now 9000 sq. ft. to around 19000 sq. ft. There will be an expansion to around 30 different treatment areas and 25 private treatment rooms. This includes the creation of two behavioral health rooms and a sensory room for patients with specialized needs. A big emphasis is being placed on family, expanding private rooms so that caregivers may stay with patients.

This upgrade could not come soon enough, as hospital administrator Chris Jett points out:

“This will be the first major renovation of our pediatric emergency center since its initial construction in 1997. Not only has the demand for our services grown with the population of the region, but the space requirements associated with the delivery of the high quality of care we are known for makes this expansion even more important.”

Chris Jett, administrator for Children’s & Women’s Hospital.

We will be updating the renovation process as it continues, so be sure to check back with us @thebamabuzz for more updates.

Thank you to our healthcare workers for their sacrifice and hard work.