Ice cream anyone?  

We spend a lot of time talking about clinical outcomes, cutting edge technology and highly trained specialists at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.

But today I wanted to take a moment to reflect on our softer side. Helen DeVos Children's Hospital is all about kids and creating a great environment where kids feel comfortable while they are healing.

A little ice cream can go a long way to helping make kids feel better.

Rich DeVos himself suggested having an ice cream window in the lobby of the new children's hospital. As you can see from the picture, the colorful tiles behind the counter should help brighten the mood.

Yes, we are focusing on healthier options too, in addition to the pizza and kid friendly food we will be serving in the restaurant. But we definitely want the hospital to be a magical place for kids and their families.

There are other magical features in addition to the fun food options, like a performance stage in the lobby. We have a lot of volunteers, from puppet masters to musicians to Miss America who come to visit. This mini stage will allow us to bring some interesting entertainment into the hospital. While these fun distractions will not completely minimize the fear and anxiety of a trip to the hospital, we hope it will make a difference.

Here are photos of the color-changing ceiling that you will see when you get off the elevators.

Every few seconds, the colors change in this beautiful wave form. You will see nature themes throughout the building. The design is playful and fun for all ages.

We're all getting so excited to see this new home for Helen DeVos Children's Hospital become a reality! 266 days!

Have your kids ever needed surgery?  As parents this is something we don't take lightly.  Making surgery the safest, most effective and most caring experience possible is our approach in planning for the surgical programs in the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.

For the first time, we will have dedicated operating rooms just for children. Six operating rooms will feature the latest technology and equipment such as two "stealth stations" using a 3D navigation guidance system for brain surgery. Surgical procedures performed will include: general, neuroscience, orthopaedic, plastic, eyes, ears, nose, throat, urologic, gynecologic and cardiothoracic. A state of the art cardiac catheterization lab and private post anesthesia recovery rooms are included.

We have an amazing team of pediatric trained surgeons, anesthesiologists and other specialists who have trained at the best hospitals around the country. These doctors chose to practice here in Grand Rapids because they were excited to work in a pediatric operating environment that was designed especially for children and adolescents. The surgeons are supported by a team of nurses, technicians and child life specialists.

To get the operating rooms ready, the team is tracking the purchase and supply of more than 12,000 instruments, over 400 pieces of equipment and 2,300 types of supplies.  You might wonder why there is so much variety.  Helen DeVos Children's Hospital surgeons operate on children who range from a one pound baby born too soon to a 350 pound 17-year-old and every size in between.  Many tools and instruments have to be ready to accommodate a "child" of any size.  

More than 9,000 surgeries are performed annually and about two thirds of these patients go home by the end of the day.   

The new surgery floor at is located on Level A in the podium section (the rectangular floors at the base) of the building.  To make the experience of surgery as family friendly as possible, our team has created a "Preparing for Surgery Video", built a beautiful family lounge and an interactive play room.  We've also been planning for the process to be very supportive for families.  For example, many children will be prepared for surgery and then return to recover in the same rooms.  We've also built consultation rooms so that the surgeons can tell the family how the surgery went in a private place rather than in front of other families. Parents will also be encouraged to come with their child to an induction room where they can be with their child for the beginning of the anesthesia process to reduce anxiety in children. 

We are proud of the expertise, technology and thoughtful process planning that is going into having a completely dedicated pediatric operating suite just for children. Tell me what you want to learn more about, I am interested in hearing from you.

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