Baptist Children's Hospital to begin $1 million expansion of key pediatric services

The Spence and Becky Wilson Baptist Children’s Hospital is beginning work to expand its ear, nose and throat, orthopedic and general surgical services.

This $1.2 million expansion will include the build out of an operating room, which will allow the hospital to accommodate up to 286 new surgeries a year. The expansion will also include a pediatric spine table for patients needing treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, pediatric orthopedic drills, pediatric ENT surgical equipment to enhance precision during surgeries, a digital X-ray system for fluoroscopy procedures for neonatal and pediatric patients, and a Hamilton-C1 ventilator to provide respiratory support for newborns, babies in utero and children during transport in Baptist’s pediatric ambulance.

“We are grateful to Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation for supporting the expansion of neonatal and pediatric surgical services at Baptist Children’s Hospital,” said Allison Bosse, CEO and administrator of Baptist Children’s Hospital and Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women. “We work closely with our pediatric specialists to align our services and have identified key growth opportunities that will benefit families in our communities. The addition of an operating room and surgical equipment will allow us to build upon the specialized pediatric services we offer our patients and physicians.”

Construction is slated to begin in the second quarter of Baptist’s 2024 fiscal year (between January and March 2024) and is expected to be completed in mid-summer 2024. Earl Swensson and Associates is the architect and bids will be put out soon for construction on the project, which is funded by Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation.