Children's critical care tower set to open in Jacksonville in 2 years

Baptist Health to begin construction of 7-story building this spring

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The New Wolfson Children's Critical Care Tower will provide state-of-the-art specialized services, including pediatric trauma care to the medical campus in downtown Jacksonville, according to officials.

The new building will serve as the new front entrance to both Wolfson Children's Hospital and Baptist Medical Center when completed in early 2021.

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“We intend to create an extraordinary patient and family experience for all who enter,” said Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville Hospital President Michael Mayo.

"The new Wolfson Children’s Critical Care Tower will include a high-level 75-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Center as well as a 26-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit," he said. "The Neonatal Intensive Care Center will be comprised of three separate units, replacing the current 56-bed Level II and Level III Newborn ICUs at Wolfson Children’s Hospital."

Officials said they have been receiving more and more critically ill infants and children from cities well outside of Jacksonville which increases the need for the new advanced facility.

The new Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) will provide a 25-percent increase in beds and the new PICU will increase its number of beds by 30 percent. These added beds will bring the hospital’s total to 272, making Wolfson Children’s Hospital the second-largest children’s hospital in Florida. Wolfson Children’s is the only full-service children’s hospital in North Florida and South Georgia and provides the region’s only Neonatal Surgical Center.

The new Wolfson Children’s Critical Care Tower will integrate with Baptist Jacksonville’s high-risk obstetrics and neonatal delivery center for seamless continuity of care, and will feature:

  • Private patient/family NICU suites with space to comfortably sleep two parents, full showers and bathrooms, separate parent wardrobes, and a unique room on each floor for the joint care of mothers who require a post-delivery stay.
  • State-of-the-art equipment and technology that support advanced workflows and provide all of the needed resources for physicians and clinical teams, with minimal infant disruption.
  • Rooms designed to encourage family involvement with patients, which is proven to promote quicker healing, recovery and, growth, and ultimately lead to earlier discharges home. 
  • Windows in every patient room, allowing for natural light, which accelerates and supports healing in postpartum mothers as well as infants and children.
  • Entertainment/education systems so parents can access our extensive learning library of information on care for their child and enjoy a distraction from the stress that comes with having a critically ill infant or child.