Ribbon cutting held for new Wonder Tower at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) -The hospital won’t be open to patients until April 30, but the ribbon cutting for the new Wonder Tower opening up at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU got people excited Tuesday afternoon.

The new hospital is 16 stories tall and takes up an entire city block.

Before the Children’s Tower was built, kids and their families had to go to the 7th floor of the main hospital, sandwiched between adult care units or the critical care hospital for treatment. But now, everything will be under one roof.

The new facility will house the region’s only level 1 pediatric trauma center and ensure that kids can access the specialists they need, no matter the time of day.

“By creating this sort of resource, we are attending to the full needs of children and families,” said Dr. Shari Barkin, the Physician-in-Chief for the CHoR Department of Pediatrics.

Hospital staff says that one of the most significant considerations when building the hospital was to make it kid-friendly. Each floor is decorated with a James River theme. There is also a family gym and a cafeteria with kid-favorite foods like pizza and ice cream.

“The structure, the nooks and crannies, kids love nooks and crannies. You know that if you are a parent, the artwork and the colors, making it joyful, making it playful, allowing kids to be kids even in the circumstance of illness,” Barkin said.

Even though the hospital doesn’t open until next month, nurses and doctors have been coming in and training to make sure they’re ready for when the first patient arrives.

Copyright 2023 WWBT. All rights reserved.