Detroit’s new home for pediatric specialty care was revealed with the grand opening celebration of Children’s Hospital of Michigan Specialty Center – Detroit, located on the campus of the Detroit Medical Center.
The $43 million specialty center represents the first completed structure following Vanguard Health Systems’ $850-million investment in making the DMC a leader in healthcare of the future. It is also the first major expansion for the DMC campus in nearly 30 years.
With 235 employees, the new five-story, 106,500-square-foot facility will house 14 medical subspecialties and associated clinics and services including infusion, dialysis, and rehabilitation services. Ancillary services include lab, X-ray, ultrasound, and a retail pharmacy. Families will have access to more than 100 physicians and residents who will provide care at Children’s Hospital of Michigan Specialty Center – Detroit. High volume specialty services, such as cancer treatment, heart, neurological services and orthopaedics, will remain housed in the hospital.
“No longer will patients and families have to navigate the hospital or a large multi-story parking deck for routine or frequent outpatient visits when they see many of our specialists,” said Hospital President Dr. Gray. “From ensuring improved access to high quality pediatric care to convenient surface-level parking, every inch of the new Children’s Hospital of Michigan Specialty Center – Detroit was designed with patients and families in mind.”
Some unique design features of the building include two whimsical healing gardens and original artwork on each floor created by current and former patients, staff, local area students and artists. Some environmentally friendly features include low flow faucets, daylight and motion sensor lighting. Porous exterior concrete pavement allows rain water to pass through the concrete and naturally seep into the ground, reducing the load on storm sewer drains.
Part of the building’s exterior design includes sculptures and two healing gardens, one on the south and one on the west sides of the building, to provide attractive color and pleasant scents all year.
DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan Specialty Center – Detroit was designed by Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott (architects), Integrated Design Solutions (mechanical and electrical engineers), Giffel – Webster Engineers (civil and site engineers), and Ehlert/Bryan (structural engineers.) The joint venture teams of L.S.Brinker/Barton Malow managed the building’s construction.
