As part of an effort to centralize its services, the University of Missouri Health Care relocated its Children’s Hospital to a new facility on the existing hospital campus. Along with Joint Venture partner PARIC, Barton Malow worked with the team to build the largest project in the University’s history.
The nine-level hospital is a concrete structure tied into an existing patient care tower, enabling MU Health Care to integrate critical services for adults and children in a single location. Patient rooms were constructed with flexibility in mind, designed larger for families and with integrated technology behind the walls, to allow the rooms to flex based on patient influx and acuity and to make equipment changes easy in the future. A 200-foot steel-framed, prefabricated Skybridge connects the new facility to the adjacent medical office building, promoting seamless access for healthcare providers and visitors.
With healing and comfort in mind, the new facility features a dedicated kid-friendly entrance, a warm environment with nature elements, calming colors, and natural lighting to promote respite for patients and caretakers. Additional design elements include interactive clinic areas inclusive for those with special needs, an outdoor plaza and playground, and public and private lobbies on each floor for families.
Maintaining Hospital Operations
Built fully connected to an operational patient care tower, the construction of the hospital involved work in multiple sensitive, occupied areas, including university student pedestrian spaces, patient traffic to the existing hospital, and construction zones around the new tower. To ensure safety, exterior areas received increased wayfinding, ingress and egress patterns were adjusted, site-specific safety training was made mandatory for all workers, and additional inspections were implemented. Early planning included heightened safety and ICRA protocols in interior areas, with noise and vibration-creating tasks scheduled around hospital operations.
Building Community Through Comprehensive Care
The mission of MU Health in building the new facility is to foster openness and inclusiveness for children and families on their path to wellness, ensuring each guest gets individualized attention and assistance. The hospital includes 30 PEDS rooms, 60 private NICU rooms, 16 birthing suites, and a pediatric and adult Neuroscience Unit, ensuring top-tier coordinated treatment for every child. This multi-specialty facility advances neonatal and pediatric healthcare by providing a centralized space for specialists to collaborate and deliver coordinated, comprehensive care. Located between St. Louis and Kansas City, MU Health is the only comprehensive care facility for Central Missouri, elevating care access for the large surrounding communities.
