Kansas City, Mo.-based Children’s Mercy is planning a more than $1 billion acute care patient tower at its Adele Hall campus as demand for pediatric services grows nationwide.
Four things to know:
1. The expansion is expected to increase total capacity by 25% to 30% and includes a new home for the pediatric intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit and expanded emergency department, according to an April 26 hospital news release.
2. Third-party assessments found that within five years, existing capacity will meet only 67% of projected total bed needs and 40% of projected NICU demand.
“Demand is already pressing our capacity, so this is about readiness and responsibility,” President and CEO Alejandro Quiroga, MD, said in the release. “When a child in our community needs an ICU bed, and minutes matter, we must have the space and the very best teams ready to act. This investment protects our ability to say ‘yes’ to the next child who needs us, while strengthening the expertise, compassion, and advanced care families count on.”
3. The tower will also include a surgical center with future-ready technology, including robotics, improved clinical flow and more natural light and green space.
4. The project, estimated to cost more than $1 billion, will be funded through private-public investments. Enabling work is expected to begin in fall 2026, with a goal of project completion in 2031.
Children’s Mercy is one of 28 freestanding pediatric hospitals in the U.S. and serves patients across a multistate region, the release said.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.