GRAND RAPIDS – Under construction along Michigan Street, the 14-story Helen Devos Children’s Hospital expansion will add 440,000 square-feet of space to the city’s Medical Mile, a collection of health care and research facilities.

The $286 million, 206-bed children's hospital will include a neonatal intensive care unit with 40 private rooms; a 24-bed, inpatient medical/surgical floor; a 24-bed inpatient surgical floor for children recovering from neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, general surgery or kidney transplantation; a 24-bed pediatric intensive care unit for children with life-threatening illness, traumatic injuries or recovering from major operations, and a 24-bed medical/surgical unit devoted to children with cancer and those recovering from bone marrow transplant or neurosurgery.

Opened in 1993, Spectrum Health’s Devos Children’s Hospital was the first of its kind in the region, and today serves children and families in 37 counties. But more room is needed, and the new facility will open in early 2011.

“Our children’s hospital has grown very rapidly,” said Bob Connors, M.D., surgeon and president of Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. “Fifteen years ago there were only a handful of pediatric specialists in West Michigan. We now have more than 100 experts in more than 40 subspecialties serving patients and families.” The new hospital space, he said, “marks a major milestone in achieving our goal of becoming one of the nation’s leading children’s hospitals.”

Some of the kid- and family-centered features of the new space will be built into the 11^th floor. According to the hospital, it will include a 600-square-foot multi-faith chapel, multi-purpose rooms and space for child life activities such as therapeutic recreation, medical play, and arts and crafts. This floor will also include exercise space, family laundry, kitchenette facilities and four family sleep rooms to accommodate extended families.

“Our community understands that children need a level of care designed especially for them,” said Richard C. Breon, President & CEO of Spectrum Health. “Our new children's hospital will be here to meet their unique health care needs for generations to come.”

The “Medical Mile” work in Grand Rapids includes an expansion for medical research at the Van Andel Institute, plus construction of the Lemmon-Holton Cancer Center, the Fred and Lena Meijer Heart Center, Grand Rapids Community College’s Science Center, Grand Valley State University’s Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences, and the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine.

Wolverine Construction and the Turner Group are partnering to manage the construction. Contractor Andy J. Egan is handing the piping on the project.

“Things are going well,” said Plumbers, Pipe Fitters and Service Trades Local 174 Steward Mel Atkins, working for Egan. “There’s lots of changes, and we’re a little behind with the prints, but it’s nothing we can’t handle. It’s a good job.”

THE $286 MILLION Helen Devos Children’s Hospital being built in Grand Rapids.

MANEUVERING HIS LIFT around a chilled water line in the mechanical chiller room at the Helen Devos Children’s Hospital under construction in Grand Rapids is Mark Van Noord of Plumbers, Pipe Fitters and Service Trades Local 174, working for Andy J. Egan.