VCU Breaks Ground on New Children's Hospital
RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) - Virginia Commonwealth University broke ground on its new children's hospital Monday. The $168 million, 640,000 square foot facility will bring all facets of outpatient pediatric care under one roof.
At the ground breaking ceremony, Dr. Bruce Rubin Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, told NBC12 that the new pavilion will be dedicated to children and their families going through the stressful process of child illness.
"When you walk into the building you'll think, 'this is just for kids,'" Dr. Rubin said. "Nothing can take away all the stress, but hopefully it will make it easier to drop the car, drop the kids and be able to get all your care from all specialists in just one area."
For Melissa Ingham-Crouch, she knows that stress well. Her daughter, Molly, was diagnosed with a rare colon problem at seven months old. Molly needed surgery and is doing well today. However, her mom says having everything under one roof will streamline treatment and recovery.
"It gives the families a sense of community and that they're in one safe spot," Ingham-Crouch said. "Especially for the kids, that certainty counts when it's unknown and they're unfamiliar."
Construction on the facility is currently underway and should be complete in 2015. The hospital plans for the building to be open in 2016. Eventually, the old children's pavilion will be torn down.
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