A groundbreaking ceremony took place on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Wednesday for the new John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital. The $270 million facility will replace Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo on Bryant Street.
The state-of-the-art hospital will consist of 12 floors and 183 beds. Officials say it will have a modern look and feel.
Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy says New York State will contribute $35 million toward the project, including $15 million from the Buffalo Billion and $20 million from other state resources.
“Securing the funding for the new John R. Oishei Children's Hospital is a huge win for Buffalo and Western New York. Thanks to Governor Cuomo’s leadership through the Buffalo Billion, the hospital will give communities throughout the region access to specialized healthcare. I thank all of our state partners and Kaleida Health for making this excellent project a reality,” said Duffy.
Kaleida Health President and CEO Jody Lomeo says the new facility will deliver world-class care for generations to come.
“We’re breaking ground on another piece to the puzzle with a state-of-the-art stand-alone children’s hospital. We are so fortunate to be one of 43 communities in this country to have a stand-alone children’s hospital. We are also blessed to be the only stand-alone children’s hospital in New York State,” said Lomeo.
The Oishei Children’s Hospital will continue to offer the same care as Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo. It will be the only center with pediatric specialists, caring for all children ages zero to 21 and their families. It will also continue to be the only access point for pediatric critical care, Level 3 neonatal intensive care, and Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Centers in Western New York.
The new hospital will link with Buffalo General, the Gates Vascular Institute, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, the University at Buffalo’s new Medical School and others on the medical campus.
The facility is expected to be completed by 2017.