I had a wonderful experience the other night attending a fundraiser for Helen DeVos Children's Hospital that was held at Celebration Cinema.  It was a premier of the movie What If, which is coming out in the next few weeks.  The event had two-fold meaning for me.  First of all, it was amazing to see the community support for the work we do at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, particularly from our lead partner for the event, Varnum, which helped sponsor this event for the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Foundation.

Before the movie, we watched a video about a premature baby whose life was saved by our cardiology team, through heart catheterization, open heart surgery and lots of time in our children's hospital.  People also spoke about what the children's hospital has meant to their families and loved ones. 

I was there with my Mom and Dad and I leaned over and said, "I am so proud that I get to work there every day!" 

There was another reason I was proud and that was because my Dad, who is a local actor, had a role in the movie.  The movie was filmed exclusively in Grand Rapids and Manistee.  It made me reflect on all of the things that we are building in West Michigan that are so positive.  We have a growing medical center that can provide the highest level of care, great jobs for residents in our community and a feeling of overall excitement about the rapidly developing Michigan-based film industry. 

While watching the film I saw the new children's hospital featured in a view looking up of the Michigan Street hill.  I reflected on what a generous community we have.  To have a resource like this in a community this size is really something to be proud of.  Did you know that there have been over 4,000 individuals who have donated something to make this new hospital a reality?  Those are everything from multi-million dollar gifts to a $10 check we received from a grateful grandma which added up to more than $103 million raised to help build the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. 

By the way, proceeds from the movie premier screening raised $20,000 for the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Foundation.

With all of the activity of opening a new hospital in about 150 days, last night was a great chance for me to stop and feel grateful on just how lucky we are.  Thanks to everyone who helps make this new hospital a reality for the kids of our community!

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When I see these pictures of the work being done on the outdoor garden and play space I am reminded of something our president, Dr. Bob Connors, says often about the new children's hospital: "Kids need more than medicine to get well."

A child in the hospital does not stop being a child just because he or she is sick or injured. So creating a place where patients can enjoy fresh air and sunshine, beautiful plants and unique play things is just as important as the effort and resources we are putting into technology, equipment and medical care.

One of the strongest influences on my own parenting style came from a book titled, Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv. It talks about the importance of the outdoors for a child's well being.  Have you ever noticed when you take your child outside they either run around because of the freedom of the outdoors or sometimes quietly explore something as simple and magnificent as a pattern on a leaf? I get this feeling as an adult too.  Watching the clouds, feeling the breeze and breathing deeply can restore my balance after a hectic day of work, kids and life. I believe the garden we are building at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital will be a place to have these experiences.  It is unnatural for a child to spend days in a room in a hospital and it is stressful for parents and siblings to be there to support their child. I hope that our families will enjoy the freedom and playfulness of the space and spend some time connecting with each other and nature.

Flowers, shrubs, bushes and trees will help celebrate nature in the midst of a city. The outdoor garden is equipped with electrical outlets so that children can plug in their portable infusion pumps while they enjoy the view and the toys.

The play equipment is interactive and I am looking forward to the sounds of laughter interspersed with the banging of bongo drums, and the chimes of the xylophone.

Access to the outdoor garden and play space will be through doors from the cafeteria on the west side of the building overlooking Bostwick Street. Already I am envisioning kids wheeling out to the patio to share lunch with their families.  

There is so much happening with the new building right now. I wanted to provide you a quick photo update. Brief captions below each picture give you a glimpse of all the work happening inside as we prepare to care for our kids.

Visit our Flickr page for even more photos.

Today while touring the 8^th floor pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), one of my colleagues exclaimed, "Wow! This will be a show-stopping moment for the opening events tours."

He is a veteran of 20 years experience in children's hospitals so I took this as more validation that the PICU truly is an amazing space. It is an incredible blend of high technology and high touch care and amenities. 

More than any area of the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, the PICU is personal for me.  As I've mentioned before, our daughter was born with a serious heart defect eight years ago which landed her in the children's hospital pediatric intensive care unit at 8 days old. After years of care and open heart surgery she is a healthy, active child.  That first night in the PICU was scary, but I will never forget one of the nurses who sat on the chair in the room and explained the situation to us until we understood. The caregivers in our critical care department have always provided wonderful, lifesaving care, and to think that they will now have an environment that matches their excellence is truly awe inspiring. 

There will be wonderful views of the sunrises and sunsets from the 16-foot high windows in each of the 24 patient rooms. Today, the construction and equipment leaders showed us how the rooms were designed so that the patient's bed can be arranged so the child can see out the window if they choose.  For some children who have to stay in the PICU, this will be a wonderful treat. There will also be accommodations for parents to sleep in, a bathroom in each room and family space on the unit. The array of patient monitoring and therapeutic equipment is similar to what you would see in an operating room.

It will be a great environment of healing for the most critically ill and injured children, and for those kids who will be recovering from major surgery. The new PICU is eight beds larger than the current PICU, which will be important during trauma season, and also during the busier winter months when we treat many children with respiratory problems.

The new PICU is personal for the staff who will be working there too. Since January 11, 2010 when we started the one year countdown to opening day, the PICU staff has been delivering cakes and cookies to the construction crew on the 11^th of each month. I had to smile when a PICU manager shared this story with me. She was picking up a cake inscribed with the message: "counting down the days to 1-11-11" and the baker said: "That's the day of the opening of the new children's hospital, you must be very proud."

I thought it would be fun to share some pictures of the amazing mosaic mural being installed in the main lobby of the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. It is revealing itself quickly. Yesterday, I saw the sketches on the wall and today I received these pictures of the mosaic pieces starting to be attached. 

The mural will cover most of the south wall in the lobby, going up and over the restaurant area.  It is going to be HUGE, measuring 160 feet long and 19 feet high, covering 1,400 square feet of wall space.

Like all of the art in the new children's hospital, kids are involved in this project. The artists, Tracy VanDuinen and Todd Osbourne, worked with children in art-making sessions at LaFontsee Galleries to draw pictures of things that made them feel happy.

Then, the children painted mosaic tiles that will be installed onto the giant mural the artists drew from the workshops with the kids. You may recall that Tracy VanDuinen was the second place winner in last year's Art Prize competition for the mural he created with kids in front of the Grand Rapids Children's Museum.  

This is an exciting milestone in the construction of the new children's hospital. Many of the floors look nearly complete as final paint and finishes are being applied. By the way, just 202 short days until opening on 1-11-11.

Last week we had  a really fun "start of summer celebration" that was organized by our child life staff.  At the event some of our patients and families had the chance to sample and vote on their favorite flavors of ice cream. 

The House of Flavors brand ice cream and sorbet will be featured in the ice cream window located in the lobby of our new children's hospital.  The testers today had the chance to sample four flavors: "Moosetracks" "Birthday Cake," "Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough" and "Superman."  The flavor that received the most votes was "Birthday Cake" and "Moosetracks" was a close second.  

Ultimately, the ice cream window will feature several standard flavor options as well as seasonal flavors.  It also important to us that we offer plenty of low fat and even sugar free options.

What are your kids' favorite ice cream flavors?  Tell us on Facebook to help us pick the rest of the fun flavors to be included.  Some options are:

-Cinnamon

-Blue Moon

-Tiramisu

-Cake Batter

-Milky Way

-Orange Pineapple

-Muddy Sneakers

-Pomegranate Blueberry Granola

Here is a sneak peek at a really fun feature that will be located in the main lobby and the surgical family lounge of the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital: a wall of bubbles. 

The soothing sound and the beautiful movement of the bubbles through the water immediately engages you. There is a mirror behind it that will be fun for children to be able to see themselves covered with bubbles. 

Nearby in the main lobby will be an interactive screen that functions a little like the Wii game without any controllers.  Imagine watching falling snow. You can make a "virtual snowball" by bending down to scoop up a handful of snow, and then throw it against the screen and watch it splatter.

Imagine a children's hospital that makes getting better fun! Counting down the days to 1-11-11.

Driving east or west on Michigan Street in Grand Rapids gives me something new to see every day while the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital is under construction. The pedestrian bridge looks different every morning. Because of the "Fix on I96" construction, work on the pedestrian bridge can only take place at night when there is less traffic and a lane of Michigan Street can be closed off.

The most visible work is the installation of the framework for the glass walls of the bridge. Underneath, pneumatic tubes have been installed through which laboratory samples and medications will flow back and forth between the children's hospital and the diagnostic laboratory in the 35 Michigan building. This medical office building will house pediatric specialty clinics, a big improvement in access that brings together clinical space that now extends the length of Michigan Street.

Parking for the new children's hospital and the medical office building is beneath the 35 Michigan Street facility and the pedestrian bridge will serve as an iconic gateway connecting to the children's hospital main lobby. Valet parking will also be available at the new pediatric emergency department and at the main entrance.

Matt Denenberg, MD, shared this note and photo with me and I want to share it with you. Dr. Denenberg is the director of the pediatric emergency department at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.

 Trillium,

The work being done by the art gallery for the new children's hospital is a great idea as evidenced by the fun Nicolas had yesterday. 

Thanks,
The Denenbergs

Visit lafontsee.us to learn more about art being created for the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.

As parents we hope that our kids can stay away from the hospital. Even though I work at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, I learned firsthand how the expertise of a children's hospital can make all of the difference for even rather minor injuries and illnesses.  

My oldest child was injured on the playground at school last year.  Like many other third graders, he thought it would be cool to jump to the fourth wrung on the monkey bars.  He fell on his shoulder.  At the time it didn't seem like a huge injury so my husband decided to get an X-ray at an adult-based location that he thought would be faster than taking our son to the children's hospital.   

Several days later when the injury did not get better, we finally got smart and brought him to Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.  The difference was striking.  Helen DeVos Children's Hospital has pediatric-trained radiologists who know that a growing body is different than an adult body.  The types of X-rays they took were different and as it turned out, my son's arm was broken.  Of course, we felt terrible for not bringing him here in the first place.   

The next visit was to the pediatric orthopaedic office. That was incredible.  They were able to talk to my son in a way that made him feel comfortable and we were able to get follow up X-rays right in their office. What I learned from that experience is that the children's hospital is here for all kids and adolescents in our region for all types of injuries and illnesses-not just when it's a life threatening situation. 

As it turns out, there are thousands of children who are seen in our emergency department, come in for a diagnostic test or come to see a specialist about a concern.  While we are proud of our ability to serve very ill children, we are also proud of what makes a children's hospital special for all kids. 

Ice cream anyone?  

We spend a lot of time talking about clinical outcomes, cutting edge technology and highly trained specialists at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.

But today I wanted to take a moment to reflect on our softer side. Helen DeVos Children's Hospital is all about kids and creating a great environment where kids feel comfortable while they are healing.

A little ice cream can go a long way to helping make kids feel better.

Rich DeVos himself suggested having an ice cream window in the lobby of the new children's hospital. As you can see from the picture, the colorful tiles behind the counter should help brighten the mood.

Yes, we are focusing on healthier options too, in addition to the pizza and kid friendly food we will be serving in the restaurant. But we definitely want the hospital to be a magical place for kids and their families.

There are other magical features in addition to the fun food options, like a performance stage in the lobby. We have a lot of volunteers, from puppet masters to musicians to Miss America who come to visit. This mini stage will allow us to bring some interesting entertainment into the hospital. While these fun distractions will not completely minimize the fear and anxiety of a trip to the hospital, we hope it will make a difference.

Here are photos of the color-changing ceiling that you will see when you get off the elevators.

Every few seconds, the colors change in this beautiful wave form. You will see nature themes throughout the building. The design is playful and fun for all ages.

We're all getting so excited to see this new home for Helen DeVos Children's Hospital become a reality! 266 days!

Have your kids ever needed surgery?  As parents this is something we don't take lightly.  Making surgery the safest, most effective and most caring experience possible is our approach in planning for the surgical programs in the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.

For the first time, we will have dedicated operating rooms just for children. Six operating rooms will feature the latest technology and equipment such as two "stealth stations" using a 3D navigation guidance system for brain surgery. Surgical procedures performed will include: general, neuroscience, orthopaedic, plastic, eyes, ears, nose, throat, urologic, gynecologic and cardiothoracic. A state of the art cardiac catheterization lab and private post anesthesia recovery rooms are included.

We have an amazing team of pediatric trained surgeons, anesthesiologists and other specialists who have trained at the best hospitals around the country. These doctors chose to practice here in Grand Rapids because they were excited to work in a pediatric operating environment that was designed especially for children and adolescents. The surgeons are supported by a team of nurses, technicians and child life specialists.

To get the operating rooms ready, the team is tracking the purchase and supply of more than 12,000 instruments, over 400 pieces of equipment and 2,300 types of supplies.  You might wonder why there is so much variety.  Helen DeVos Children's Hospital surgeons operate on children who range from a one pound baby born too soon to a 350 pound 17-year-old and every size in between.  Many tools and instruments have to be ready to accommodate a "child" of any size.  

More than 9,000 surgeries are performed annually and about two thirds of these patients go home by the end of the day.   

The new surgery floor at is located on Level A in the podium section (the rectangular floors at the base) of the building.  To make the experience of surgery as family friendly as possible, our team has created a "Preparing for Surgery Video", built a beautiful family lounge and an interactive play room.  We've also been planning for the process to be very supportive for families.  For example, many children will be prepared for surgery and then return to recover in the same rooms.  We've also built consultation rooms so that the surgeons can tell the family how the surgery went in a private place rather than in front of other families. Parents will also be encouraged to come with their child to an induction room where they can be with their child for the beginning of the anesthesia process to reduce anxiety in children. 

We are proud of the expertise, technology and thoughtful process planning that is going into having a completely dedicated pediatric operating suite just for children. Tell me what you want to learn more about, I am interested in hearing from you.

Click on "Add Comment" below to join the conversation.

When my daughter was in the children's hospital it was the stickers that made a big difference.  She didn't want to take her medicine at all.  That is until the child life specialist suggested an idea.  Stickers. Once Sofina  knew that she could earn a sticker by taking her medicine, she quickly opened her mouth and took her medicine on schedule.

For most children, the hospital can be a very scary place. Helen DeVos Children's Hospital has 17 child life specialists, experts in child development who are dedicated to  supporting children and families through their hospital stay.  The goal of the child life program is to help make kids feel comfortable and reduce their anxiety.  

Preparing a child for a procedure is one of the most important things that can be done to help children know what to expect and how to cope. Sometimes a child life specialist will use a doll or a model to demonstrate a procedure, or engage the child in "medical play" before a diagnostic test or operation. Did you know that Helen DeVos Children's Hospital has videos on our Web site to help prepare kids for surgery?

Children may believe an illness or a procedure is punishment for something they have done.  Child life staff are trained to help children understand that is it not their fault and explain what is going on in language they can comprehend.

When children are undergoing a procedure  or a radiology exam child life staff members help the patients and families cope by offering suggestions that will help relax the child. They might encourage singing or holding on to mom's hand to help make a needle poke less painful.  For longer procedures, watching movies and blowing bubbles might help pass the time.  Patients who are in the hospital for a while can play with toys, or video games provided by child life or visit the play room. 

While hospitalization is not expected to be fun for a child, only a children's hospital has the resources of child life staff members dedicated to making the experience as positive as possible for the child and family.

*The child life program is made possible by the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Foundation. Learn more about the Foundation and how you can help by visiting their Web site.

Is it possible to have a pain free hospital? It might seem counterintuitive, but that is exactly what our physicians and staff are trying to accomplish at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. Pain management, sedation and distraction techniques are all designed to maximize a child's comfort and minimize anxiety during procedures that might be painful.  

As part of the planning for opening the new hospital, our teams are working hard to maximize the physical and emotional comfort of our patients.  This can be as simple as rubbing a little numbing lotion on the skin before an IV poke or even sedating children before a difficult procedure.  Our teams take this aspect of their jobs very seriously.

The pediatric sedation team at the new children's hospital will combine the two sedation teams that are now located far away from each other in different parts of the hospital. In the new children's hospital the sedation department is ideally located right in the middle of the procedure rooms, between the emergency department and the pediatric radiology department.   

The radiology team has also teamed up with the child life staff to create an environment where children can learn about their radiology test before they go through it, to reduce fear and in some cases reduce or eliminate the need for sedation.  Imagine your young child being told to "lie still" for 45 minutes during a magnetic resonance imaging exam. Yet child life staff have helped many children cope through guided imagery, and even special video goggles with which kids can watch a movie during the exam.

I know for me as a parent, pain and anxiety management are right up there with "get my child better so we can go home."  I am proud that our teams here are prioritizing pain management and emotional well being for all of our patients.

I had lots of "goose bumps moments" watching the 99 ton steel pedestrian bridge being installed across Michigan Street for the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. The chilly, drizzly and windy weather produced goose bumps for sure, but my other "goose bumps moments" were the heart warming kind.  

We gathered with more than 150 staff and their kids to watch the "bridge party" Adults and kids alike were mesmerized watching the crane hoist the bridge effortlessly into the air, having it turn in mid air and be placed into its new home.  No small feat of engineering dangling a 99 ton, 200 foot long, four story tall bridge over the steep pitch of Michigan Street.

I had the privilege of watching the big lift with the parents of the 28-year-old crane operator.  They were about as proud and nervous as you would imagine.  They described their son not being able to sleep in anticipation of his big day.  This isn't something you get to practice and you really only get one chance to get it right.  Well, he got it exactly right and when that bridge went up and settled in, my co-workers and their children burst into spontaneous applause.  Goose bumps moment number one.
I watched my daughter holding up her drawing of the new hospital against the window to see how it compared to the real thing.  She said, "Next time you build a hospital, you should make it rainbow colored, kids like colors." Goose bumps moment number two. I think the colors inside the new hospital along with the beautiful shapes and designs will definitely fit the bill.

After the big lift, our family went to the LaFontsee Gallery to participate in an art making event for kids. (Check out the link to the gallery, the art-making events continue through April 30)  The walls of the gallery are already lined with beautiful pieces that will soon hang on the walls of the new hospital.  Our kids quickly got to work at the various stations (paint dripping, drawing flowers, or drawing something that makes you happy).

The one spot that my daughter spent the longest at was the station relating to "What do you think happens in a hospital?"  She carefully drew a picture of herself in a hospital bed, with an IV attached.  The best part was that she drew four chairs with people in them, showing how we and her grandparents were by her side when she was in the hospital.  Goose bumps moment number three.

If you were able to see the bridge going up or have taken your children to participate in the art making event, tell us your thoughts and goose bump moments!

Sometimes you just feel so fortunate to be part of something big.  Tomorrow is a big day in the history of Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. The first piece of the iconic bridge that will span Michigan Street to connect the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital with an outpatient center across the street will be hoisted and set on supports.  The piece weighs 99 tons and is 200 feet long.  It will take 200 gallons of paint to cover the steel.  The bridge is designed almost like a kaleidoscope, getting larger and almost twisting as it reaches the new hospital. 

We created an opportunity for staff members to bring their children tomorrow to watch this big event.  My children are so excited!  In fact, they are in for a really great day.  After the bridge installation, we are going to Lafontsee Galleries to participate in an art making event for the new hospital.  It is so moving to see how kids from across the city and the region are going to put their mark on this new space just for kids.  It's truly their hospital.

There are many opportunities for children to participate in making art for the new hospital. Call the LaFontsee Galleries at 616.451.9820 to make a free reservation for your children. My daughter calls it "her hospital." I'm sure there are other kids that feel the same way. It's pretty amazing that she and other kids can be a part of building and decorating it.

My colleague Jodi Bauers, child life manager, attended the preview exhibit at LaFontsee Galleries last week. Here are her thoughts about the art work being produced by children for the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital:

I had a sneak preview of some of the art that has been made by kids while it was being hung last Thursday at LaFontsee Galleries in preparation for the show opening the next night.  All of the pictures were incredible; brightly colored designs, some simple some complex.  I am pleased to share some photos I took so you get a sense of what I saw.

In the children's hospital today, art welcomes, it inspires, it distracts, it brings comfort, it provides direction.  I know in the new children's hospital the art will continue to do the same, but will represent even more.  To have the majority of art be created by children will let other children and teens know that the hospital is a healing environment designed to care for children.

I returned for the art show Friday night.  The gallery was full of artwork and people admiring it.  Some were the young artists, who had come to see their creations displayed, some were just waiting for a preview of what was to be displayed on the walls of the new hospital.  Everyone was in awe of what they were seeing. Kids got busy making art, as you can see in the news coverage, working with artists from LaFontsee Galleries.

It will take a lot of artwork to fill the floors of our new children's hospital.  But, from seeing the first glimpse, I know that many are eager to help create more art to cover the walls with hope and healing. 

   

Yesterday as I was waiting for the elevator to go to my car at the end of the day, I noticed a family with two children. The father was holding his four-year-old daughter. She was crying after having her blood drawn. They looked lost so I asked if I could help.

They needed to go to have an X-ray in radiology. In our current environment, this means the family had to go across Barclay Street from the Helen DeVos Children's Outpatient Center into Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital and navigate through many hallways to reach pediatric radiology on the other side of the building.

It had already been a long afternoon for the child and her family. It started with her appointment with a pulmonologist in the Outpatient Center, then a trip to the laboratory blood draw site in another part of that building. It was now 5pm.

I walked them to Radiology and we got talking about how much easier it will be to have radiology exams in the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital opening on 1-11-11. Their child had been hospitalized several times and was a frequent user of our services. I explained that we will have a dedicated pediatric radiology department with close access to sedation services, a nice playroom and even a "classroom" where our child life staff can teach kids what the procedure or test will be like beforehand to minimize fear.

We are so fortunate to have pediatric radiologists right here in Grand Rapids. When my 10-year-old son fell off the playground equipment last fall and broke his arm, I learned just how specialized that field is. A child's growing bones are different than adults and a pediatric radiologist is trained to recognize injuries to a bone's growth plates.

In the new children's hospital we will have dedicated pediatric radiology and diagnostic imaging located right next to the emergency department and sedation services. All of the equipment will be brand new including two magnetic resonance imagers, and two computed tomography scanners providing the most detailed pictures in the fastest scan time and the lowest exposure to radiation.

These are some of the service and technology improvements that are getting all of us very excited about the opening of the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in just 328 days.

If you have seen the rendering (below) of the new children's hospital you may have wondered about the long horizontal structure crossing over Michigan Street. The bridge is an iconic gateway linking the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital to the new outpatient facility at 35 Michigan Street.

The bridge is being built in sections and assembly is underway on Bostwick Street in front of what will be the street level entrance to the new pediatric emergency department. The bridge will be over two stories tall on one side reaching from the main lobby to the top of the second floor. Visitors will be able to park underneath the 35 Michigan building and come across the bridge right into the lobby of the children's hospital.

The bridge is just one of several ways to enter the children's hospital. There will be valet parking through the circle drive next to the main Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital entrance. From inside the Butterworth main lobby a corridor will connect into the children's hospital lobby. The emergency department entrance will be on Bostwick. Our staff members will valet park cars for families when they arrive at our emergency department so they can go right in with their sick or injured child without having to worry about parking and finding the way into the building.

The bridge is scheduled to be erected across Michigan Street in the middle of March.

These pictures just came to me from our friends at AeroMed.  I think it's pretty impressive to see how the skyline of Grand Rapids has changed with the addition of the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital .

You can see that quite a bit has changed since these were taken.  The big crane along the side has since been taken down and we no longer have green leaves to look at.  You might wonder what all of the stuff on the roof is.  These are materials that were being staged before the final parts of the roof were put in place.  

Quite a few people have asked me if AeroMed will land on the new children's hospital and the answer is "no."  Because we operate our trauma service in conjunction with Spectrum Health Medical Center we will continue to use the helipad located on the top of the center tower at Butterworth Hospital.  About 600 pediatric patients are treated by our trauma service each year of which nearly 300 have sustained severe or multiple injuries.

We recently celebrated a milestone in the building of the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital: the installation of the chapel skylight.

On the 11th floor, which is dedicated to family amenities, there is going to be a beautiful circular non-denominational chapel. The 600-square-foot chapel is designed to give families a beautiful private space to reflect, pray and seek comfort.

The skylight for the chapel was hoisted up on a large crane in late November. We think the chapel will be a very special place for families during what can be difficult times and we hope families take comfort in the natural light from the sky above. The pastoral care department will be located near the chapel for consultation and resources as well.

Have you ever thought about how all of the information flows through a huge building?  This picture shows the "information superhighway" of more than 750 miles of network wiring (or the distance from Grand Rapids to Boston, MA) that will be hidden behind the walls and under the ceilings in the new hospital. 

Our goal is to create a truly digital hospital with real time medical information transmitted electronically so that from the patient and family's perspective, there is a seamless experience.  We have teams of people working to computerize all medical information including everything from the pre-registration systems, admitting process, discharge planning and all of the systems in between.

We will be implementing computerized order entry so that a physician's orders for medications or other treatments are immediately received by the next caregiver or department that will be involved in the patient's care.  We hope that our patients and families will notice how coordinated their care experience is from beginning to end.

Here is a "sneak peak" at some colors in the new neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on the third floor of the new hospital.  The team chose colors that are soft to create a more soothing environment for the critically ill and premature babies that will be cared for here.

The expanded NICU will be connected by a hallway to the original Neonatal Center on the third floor of Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital.  The additional 40-bed NICU will be arranged in four "neighborhoods" to make it easy for parents to find their way and also to identify with a community of other families who are staying on the unit.

Our Neonatal Center is the 10th largest in the nation with 103 beds.  With an average stay of 28 days, families often make long lasting friendships with others who are sharing a similar experience.  The expanded NICU has been designed to encourage families to get the support and respite they need in a nurturing environment for their baby.

Now the countdown really begins- 365 days until we care for children in the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. Today we are marking the occasion with a series of open forums for the more than 1,000 staff members who will be part of care in the new building.

On Friday night I had the opportunity to walk through all of the units to invite staff to these events.  What I heard over and over again was how thankful and excited the staff are to move into their new home.  They are looking forward to having more isolation rooms to keep children in controlled environments who need it. They are planning specific ways to welcome families as they enter each floor.  There are so many aspects of this move that will make it easier to heal, comfort and cure children.

We are all overwhelmed with the opportunity to be part of this new era of children's health care in west Michigan.

Listen to Bob Connors, MD, president, Helen DeVos Children's Hospital on Tommy and Brook from STAR 105.7 this morning talking about the new hospital.

Did you know that the 370-square-foot patient rooms will be one third larger in the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital than what we have now?   Why is that important?  We believe that larger, private rooms will help children and families be together in greater comfort. Parents may room in with their child, as each room is equipped with a double sofa bed. In fact, we are having parents test some of the beds now to find the most comfortable options.

The larger rooms will also allow more space for visitors, including siblings of our patients.

Children who need rehabilitation may be able to have this therapy in their room and there is lots of space for the caregivers to maneuver equipment and supplies needed for patient care.  We think the views out the floor to ceiling windows are going to be pretty special too.

I had the privilege of attending an open house last night for our intensive feeding program.  This program, a collaboration with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, provides intensive treatment for young children who are failing to thrive.  In many cases these children were on a feeding tube for years and literally had to relearn to eat.

I had seen the floor plans through many changes and revisions over the course of a year.  Nothing prepared me for the awe that I felt when I saw those floor plans come to life last night. 

Beautiful colors, space that supports the family experience (like napping rooms and a living room environment) and space that facilitates the staff's ability to provide the care, such as the viewing rooms next to each exam room are all part of the well coordinated design.

Seeing "graduates" of the program and their families at the open house made the importance of the space that much more real. 

This little glimpse of what new space can mean to families, caregivers and the community made me that much more excited about the opening of the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.   We are not only building a children's hospital, but we are also building programs, like the Intensive Feeding Program, so that we can keep families and kids close to home.

397 days until we move into the new children's hospital!

Seeing the new children's hospital during a recent "hard hat" tour was an eye-opening experience for our clinical and operations leaders. They were left with strong first impressions of how the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital will transform care for our patients and families.

My daughter asked me the other day why I give so many presentations.  I told her that lots of people are excited about the new hospital and they want to ask questions.  She asked,  "Why don't kids get to ask questions?" I said, "What kind of questions do you think kids have about the new hospital?"  She said, " Like, how will they wash all of those windows? "  Well, here is a picture of how they wash all of those beautiful windows.  I wonder what else kids would ask if invited.  We'd love to hear your kids' questions about the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.  We'll do our best to answer them.

As I was making dinner the other night I realized it was suspiciously quiet in my house.

Just then, my nine-year-old son emerged from his room with a LEGO® creation.  I recognized immediately he had made his own version of the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. It had the elevator stack along the back and a LEGO® person peaking out a window on a top floor. 

It's amazing that when you build something just for kids, that kids recognize what a special thing it is.  Most things in the world are created for adult-sized people so when kids start to realize all of the special thought that has gone into designing a hospital just for them, we hope they will be delighted.   My son said, "Look, a hospital just for us."

Usually when kids come to the hospital their families come along too, so the new children's hospital is designed to make their stay or visit the best experience it can be.  If you've ever spent the night on a chair so that you could be close to your sick child, you know what I mean.  An example of just how much thought is going into the comfort of this hospital is the process involved in selecting a sleeper sofa for the patient rooms.  The idea is to keep families together as much as possible so parents will be able to sleep overnight in their child's room. 

Dozens of front line caregivers, families of hospitalized children and furniture experts have worked together to find sleeper sofas that can pull out to sleep two people comfortably.  We've even tested different models with families who are staying here right now to make sure we get the most comfortable version.

The idea of designing our care around the needs of children and families is ingrained in all of us who work here. Recently we had a two day planning retreat with over 100 leaders from around the Children's Hospital and Spectrum Health, representing every area of operations.  What an impressive commitment this group represents.  We went around the room to introduce ourselves. A very telling moment was when a representative from our Family Centered Care Advisory Council stood up and introduced herself with the title of "Mom."  The room erupted into applause. 

Having parent representatives on design and planning committees is one of the most valuable things we can do to ensure that the children's hospital and the processes that occur in the building consider how the patient and family will experience it.  In future blog posts I'll be sharing some of these amenities and services that will be unique and special in the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.

Catch a sneak peak of what the completed building will look like in the video on the

Watch Us Grow section of our site.