HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - A children’s hospital serving South Florida is getting bigger, and it will also be better equipped to handle surgical procedures, treatments and the growing needs of patients and their families.
Beginning in November, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood will more than double in size now that its years-long, $166 million project is complete.
Among those excited about the new eight-story structure is patient Gabe Scherrer. Monday morning, the 7-year-old toured the new Child Life Zone and gave it a solid thumbs up.
“Yeah, it’s good,” he said.
The boy has been at the hospital a month and a half as he waits on a heart. That is a long time to spend in the hospital, and without a facility like the Child Life Zone, which will give him an opportunity to learn and play, there have been some long days.
“Being stuck in a room for a while, to come to this place, it’s nice for him to be able to know there’s a place to go to,” said Brittany Scherrer, the child’s mother.
Caitlyn Stella, the hospital’s CEO, shared details about the technological advancements at the new facility.
“We’re not really changing the programs. We’re just kind of taking them to a whole other level with technology and the equipment and the expertise of the team,” she said.
For example, if a child is undergoing brain surgery, the MRI, which makes sure doctors were able to get everything, now happens at the same time.
“It’s life-changing in terms of quality of care and patient outcome,” said Dr. Daxa Patel, a brain surgeon at the hospital.
Also, if a child is having open-heart surgery, doctors can perform the catheterization in the same room.
“This is one of the first of its kind in the country,” said Dr. Thomas Forbes, the hospital’s chief of cardiology. “We’re used to have to take the patients from one operating room to the next in order to complete the procedure.”
The expansion is impressive, but for a 7-year-old in need of a new heart, the technological advances pale in comparison to the opportunity to hang out with Freedom the therapy dog and playing air hockey.
“He’s been going through this since he was born, so now it’s like we’re here, and now we’re just waiting,” said Brittany Scherrer.
When the waiting is over, there will be a world class operating room ready to go and an inviting place to recover.
“In order to heal, you have to have a positive healing environment and do what kids do best, and that’s play,” said Shannon Bajwa, child life manager at the hospital.
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