Children's Hospital Gets New Addition

Boston's Children's Hospital, which is Harvard Medical School's largest pediatric training center, yesterday dedicated a new 10-story, 271-bed treatment center.

The $86 million facility will permit patient treatment that is technologically advanced and more familyoriented, said Kevin Richardson, a public relations spokesman at the hospital.

"The need for the building has long been clear to everyone associated with Children's. With inpatient buildings 30 to 70 years old, the hospital's physical plant has not kept pace with the rapid changes in pediatric medicine," said David S. Weiner, president of Children's.

The addition to the nation's largest center for pediatrics will house improved facilities for cardiac surgery, bone marrow transplants, neo-natal care, and organ transplants, according to physician-in-chief David G. Nathan.

Among the most significant improvements in thenew building are larger rooms which will allowparents to spend the night with their children andto become more involved in their children's care,said Richardson.

The new building will also provide much-neededspace for new equipment, according to Nathan. "Wealso expect to be doing radically new things downthe road. That technology will take more space,"he said.

Patients will be moved into the new building inJanuary. Richardson said the hospital plans to usethe additional space in the old building for thehospital's less technological functions, includingsome patient care, department space, and clinics