Duke Children's Hospital patients move into new, 11-story tower

A new 11-story tower for children at Duke University Hospital will allow the hospital to better serve families.

Posted 5:09 p.m. Dec 13, 2021 — Updated 9:03 p.m. Dec 13, 2021

DURHAM, N.C. — Patients of Duke Children's Hospital moved into a new, 11-story tower at Duke University Hospital over the weekend, a move that will allow the hospital to better serve families.

Existing and new patients will get larger, private rooms that are more comfortable for overnight stays, officials said. The rooms also feature technologically advanced medical equipment, including features that enhance staff and patient interactions, according to a press release.

Child patients often spend long lengths of time in the hospital. Many parents stay with their children overnight, and the new, larger rooms will make for a more comfortable stay.

“These patients and their parents may spend days, weeks -- sometime even months -- with our caregivers,” Thomas A. Owens, M.D., president of Duke University Hospital, said. “Our new Duke Central Tower children’s facility is an example of our commitment to not only providing world class clinical care, but also to do so in an environment which promotes healing and wellbeing for our patients and their families.”

Work began on the 250-bed tower began in 2017. The project cost was approximately $265 million.

The first four floors are devoted entirely to the Duke Children’s Hospital. Features include:

Patient rooms that average more than twice the size of previous rooms
Furniture that transitions into beds for family members
Two pediatric cardiac catheterization labs
New state-of-the-art pharmacy service
Designated family zones
Children’s activity rooms

The process to move current pediatric patients into their new space took three days.

Earlier in the year, adult patients moved into the top half of the tower, which has oncology, transplant, orthopedics and neurosciences units. Now that the older rooms at Duke University Hospital are empty, they will undergo renovations and updates.

Classroom at Duke University Hospital aims to be 'just a stop, not a final place' for students

"We are proud of this new building and look forward to sharing it with our community," said Mary Martin, chief operating officer of Duke University Hospital.

Suggest A Correction