The new $1.1 billion Johns Hopkins Hospital last week opened its doors to the press for the first time, revealing a 1.6 million-square-foot building designed to improve the patient experience.
Nearly 12 years ago, the Johns Hopkins board of trustees decided to replace buildings on its East Baltimore medical campus that had been built in the 1930s and 1950s. To fund the project, the renowned medical center borrowed $400 million, fundraised about $325 million, and obtained about $100 million from the state. Major donors included the United Arab Emirates and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Construction on two connected 12-story towers began five years ago, next to the current main hospital.
The 355-bed Sheikh Zayed Tower and the 205-bed Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children's Center—named after the founding president of the United Arab Emirates and Bloomberg's mother, respectively—are slated to open on April 29. The towers include 33 ORs and adult and pediatric EDs capable of handling 110,000 visits per year.
Photo slideshow: Baltimore Sun tours the new towers
According to Kenneth Cohen, the clinical director of pediatric oncology, the new towers are designed to improve safety and efficiency, while providing an environment that "make[s] the experience a little less stressful." The 560 patient rooms are private and designed to better control infections and house modern technology. They also include sofas, full bathrooms, Internet access, showers, and on-demand dining to accommodate loved ones. Laundry rooms and kitchenettes also are available near patient rooms.
Johns Hopkins Medicine EVP Ronald Peterson notes that the new hospital does not include a VIP section. Instead, VIP patients seeking additional amenities will be treated at Hopkins' Marburg Pavilion, which offers suites, fine furniture, entertainment centers, and expanded dining menus (Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 1/26; Dance, Baltimore Business Journal, 1/26; CBS Baltimore, 1/26).
