GRAND RAPIDS — Helen DeVos Children's Hospital is marking 10 years following the opening of the Big Blue Building along the Medical Mile. It was on January 11, 2011, the hospital opened the new facility offering expanded specialized care for babies, children, and teens.
It's one of 220 childcare's hospitals around the country.
“Those who saw the need years ago for specialized care for our youngest patients were true visionaries. Without them, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital would not be the vital community resource it is today,” said Tina Freese Decker, president & CEO of Spectrum Health. “I would like to thank our physicians, caregivers, donors, patients and their families and the community as a whole for embracing our mission to advance pediatric care for the children in our region with outstanding programs and services.”
The hospital is now a 234-bed national referral center and teaching hospital, providing comprehensive clinical care to the children of West Michigan and beyond. It offers advanced pediatric specialty care with more than 300 pediatric physicians who practice in 70 pediatric specialties and programs, according to a press release sent out from Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.
“Thank you to all the dedicated nurses, doctors and staff who work tirelessly to bring award-winning care, comfort and smiles to patients and families from across the region,” said Doug DeVos, Spectrum Health Board Member and son of Helen and Richard. “It’s hard to believe it has already been 10 years since the tower opened and nearly 30 years since the original Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital opened within Butterworth Hospital. Mom and Dad always believed that buildings were merely platforms for people to do great things. We are grateful to all the skilled professionals who make miracles happen every day inside the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital and are cheering on each child – along with their families – as they receive care there.”
It was back in the summer of 1990, donors announced the launch of the Helen DeVos Women's and Children's Center at Butterworth Hospital and then opened the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in September 1993.
“As a new member of the West Michigan community, I am tremendously proud of the programs and services that have been developed at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital over the past 10 years,” said Hossain Marandi, MD, MBA, FACHE, president, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. “Our remarkable team of physicians, nurses and clinical staff provide true world-class care to the communities we serve. I am thrilled to be able to lead the hospital into the future, and to continue building state-of-the-art programs with the inspiration to reach even higher.”
- Admits 9,100 children on average annually
- Handles 56,000 emergency department visits annually
- Performs 8,700 surgeries each year
- Cares for more than 1,400 newborns in the Neonatal ICU annually
For more on Helen DeVos Children's Hospital click here.
