The New Nationwide Children’s Tower: A Recommitment to Our Patients and Team
Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the United States’ premier pediatric health systems, treating some of the world’s most medically complex children. We see more than 1.7 million patients each year from all 50 states and more than 50 countries.
There is more demand than ever for the trailblazing care that is available here – in some cases, care that is only available at Nationwide Children’s. At the same time, we are more committed than ever to nurturing the individual families we serve, and to supporting our team members who care for those families.
All of that comes together in the new Nationwide Children’s Hospital patient tower.
The tower is the largest single construction project in the hospital’s history. When it opens in 2028 as a companion to our existing patient tower, it will be home to the most advanced, life-changing specialty services in all of pediatric medicine.
Crucially, the new tower’s innovative, family-focused design will also deepen Nationwide Children’s renowned dedication to our overall patients’ experiences and the amazing work of our team.
Below are some highlights with this expansion.
Nationwide Children’s has the largest neonatal intensive care network in the United States, caring for infants who are born preterm or with special challenges. Hospitals from around the country send their most serious patients to Nationwide Children’s.
The new tower devotes three floors, with additional space for growth, to private rooms for our NICU patients. The rooms have amenities for parents as well, so they can stay with their babies and fully participate in their care.
Nationwide Children’s most fragile, medically vulnerable patients are cared for in our pediatric intensive care units. Our critical care physicians save lives here every day, and their research has a worldwide impact.
The new tower expands the number of PICU beds from 54 to 72, with extra space for families – some of whom travel from overseas for Nationwide Children’s care.
Nationwide Children’s cancer and blood disorder specialists see more than 15,000 patient visits every year, and our hospital is currently conducting more than 200 research studies to improve care for all children with these conditions.
The tower will expand to two floors to meet the needs of our hematology, oncology and bone marrow transplant patients, with room for growth in the future.
Nationwide Children’s Emergency Department is one of the largest in the United States, treating children who in some cases would not survive without the expertise of our staff and the resources we have available.
The tower expands and changes the layout of our emergency services, with a staff area as the hub and the rooms as “spokes” coming off of that hub. It will allow our medical team quicker access to every patient, and help more children receive care more efficiently.
Every element of the new tower is designed with the experience of our families and our staff in mind. Many new patient rooms include elements that allow family members to stay with their children like showers and storage room for luggage and away bags.
The hospital’s well-known wayfinding system, with color-coded paths and animal illustrations, will continue throughout the new tower, helping families get anywhere they need to go.
There’s a special focus on the needs of our team members and the stresses they experience. New “respite” rooms will give them extra opportunities to take breaks, with natural light and inviting spaces for rest.
And it is designed with input from staff and families. Full-scale cardboard mockups of rooms and floors are constructed, which allow future users of those areas to comment on everything from the fit of specialized medical equipment to the clarity of sight lines.
