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Unveiling A New Standard Of Care: The New Johns Hopkins Hospital Building

A gathering of high-profile dignitaries will be among more than 1,000 people on hand to take part in the dedication of The Johns Hopkins Hospital’s new $1.1 billion, state-of-the-art facility. The ceremony marks completion of one of the nation’s largest hospital construction projects, which features the Sheikh Zayed Cardiovascular and Critical Care Tower and The Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children’s Center.

“These buildings are more than bricks and beds; they are symbols of Johns Hopkins’ enduring commitment to our patients and our community. They will help our physical environment keep pace with the cutting-edge breakthroughs of our researchers and the consistently compassionate care of our clinicians, nurses and caregivers,” says Johns Hopkins University President Ron Daniels. “From its earliest days more than a century ago, Johns Hopkins Medicine set the benchmark for patient-centered care, while advancing both research and teaching. Whether they come to us from East Baltimore or East Asia, our patients deserve the finest care in the finest facilities.”

The dedication ceremony, at the football field-sized entrance to the 1.6 million-square-foot-facility, will honor the many donors— including United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, whose personal $120 million gift significantly contributed to making this high-tech facility’s design enhance the level of care, comfort and privacy of its patients.

The art and architecture evident in the new facilities at The Johns Hopkins Hospital are the result of a unique collaboration among more than 70 artists from across the country, architects, an art curator, Bloomberg Philanthropies, patients, community members and the leadership and staff of Johns Hopkins. More than 500 original works of art were created and incorporated into the new hospital building to enhance healing. Of particular note is the unique façade, a wall of glass and steel commissioned by Michael Bloomberg and created by Brooklyn artist Spencer Finch.

“The opening of these new patient care facilities will be a transformative milestone in the history of health care in Maryland and beyond,” says Gov. Martin O’Malley. “For more than a century, patients have come to Johns Hopkins for the best possible, evidence-based, patient-centered care. These new facilities will match that excellent care with greater comfort and privacy for patients and their families in a state-of-the-art environment.”

About the facility

Covering five acres, the building includes 560 all-private patient rooms; 33 state-of-the-art, spacious operating rooms; and expansive adult and pediatric emergency departments. The building represents the new face—and new front door—of The Johns Hopkins Hospital at 1800 Orleans St. Patients will begin to move into the new buildings on April 29, and the facility opens to all on May 1.

“The generosity of our donors and the hard work of so many individuals at Hopkins have made it possible for us to now have clinical facilities that match the quality of our faculty and staff, the excellence of our medical care and the needs of our patients,” says Edward D. Miller, M.D., Dean and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine. “These sparkling towers represent what can be achieved when people from throughout our city, our state, our nation and the world share a common vision of a medical center that is a beacon of hope for patients everywhere.”

“We are fortunate that generous visionaries from across many communities shared and helped us achieve our vision for a new environment of care for the 21st century,” says Ronald R. Peterson, president of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System and executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine, noting that philanthropic contributions provided one-third of the funding for the project. The State of Maryland contributed $100 million.

Along with state-of-the-art, world-leading medical care, patients, staff and visitors will find creative landscaping and “healing gardens” and high-quality amenities, including valet parking and an interactive television network, with Internet, movies, games, way-finding apps and clinical team updates. Expanded food-ordering options also will be available, made possible by the construction of a 30,000-square-foot kitchen with an array of modern equipment to supplement the existing hospital kitchen.

The construction provided more than 4,700 jobs, 1,000 of which were filled by Baltimore City residents, 280 of whom live in East Baltimore neighborhoods surrounding The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

The Sheikh Zayed Tower

The Sheikh Zayed Tower is named after the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who served as the founder and first president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Under Sheikh Zayed’s visionary leadership and determination, the seven emirates united in 1971, and the UAE has been transformed into a prosperous, diverse and modern nation.

His son, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the current UAE president, made the contribution to honor the legacy of the late leader, who was dedicated to providing the best health care, education and basic needs to his people and to advancing the standard of health care for the people of the UAE and the world.

The Zayed Tower will be the new home of the Johns Hopkins Heart and Vascular Institute, offering a full range of cardiovascular services. The tower also will house advanced neurological and neurosurgical services as well as transplant surgery, trauma care, orthopedics, general surgery and labor and delivery. It has a total of 355 private patient rooms, including 224 for acute care, 96 for intensive care and 35 for labor and delivery. The rooftop of the Sheikh Zayed Tower has a helistop for patients who arrive by helicopter.

“Sheikh Zayed saw in Hopkins not only passion for excellence and innovation, but a shared commitment to advancing the understanding and treatment of disease. This shared commitment is lived out today in an active partnership between the UAE and Johns Hopkins Medicine,” says His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, adviser to the president of the UAE.

“It is our hope that the care delivered in this new facility will continue the legacy of Sheikh Zayed and that it will provide generations of patients with the best and most innovative care.”

The Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children’s Center

The Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children’s Center, housed in the other tower, is named in honor of the late mother of Mayor Bloomberg and Marjorie Tiven. It has 205 rooms and 10 surgical suites designed exclusively for pediatric patients. All rooms are private, including a 45-bed neonatal intensive care unit and a 40-bed pediatric intensive care unit.

Sleeping accommodations in patient rooms, as well as kitchen and laundry facilities on pediatric floors, will make it easier and more comfortable for parents to stay with their children and be involved in their care. A two-story playroom with a basketball court and a TV studio are among the amenities included to make the hospital stay more pleasant for children.

An exceptional feature of the building’s interiors is a unique, hand-picked collection of more than 500 works of art created by more than 70 artists from across the United States. The art project was spearheaded by a team from Bloomberg Philanthropies with curator Nancy Rosen and Johns Hopkins staff.

A shimmering wall of glass and steel with colors inspired by the works of Monet envelops the exterior of both towers. Other works of art include 11 super-sized sculptures created by set designer Robert Israel, pictorial window shades, 300 paintings inspired by popular children’s books, and more than 200 works inspired by nature.

“Through these exceptional artists and architects we have created a unique space that incorporates art and design thoughtfully and with attention to detail. The center has a calming presence and creates a healing environment for all the families that pass through these doors and the expert medical professionals who work here,” says Michael Bloomberg. “Hopkins has been leading the world in medicine for a century. Today, these new facilities will bring research, teaching and clinical care more closely together and will be an important step forward in defining a new standard of care.”

Bloomberg is a 1964 engineering graduate of The Johns Hopkins University and the largest donor in the 136-year history of the Johns Hopkins Institutions, having contributed more than $800 million to date since his first donation of $5 dating back to 1965. He served as the chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees from 1996 to 2002, overseeing the largest fundraising campaign in the School’s history. The Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health was named the Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2001 to recognize his commitment and support.

About the dedication ceremony

The outdoor ceremony will feature remarks by Mayor Bloomberg, a Johns Hopkins University engineering alumnus; His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa al Nahyan; Johns Hopkins University President Ron Daniels; Johns Hopkins Medicine Dean/CEO Edward D. Miller, M.D.; and Ronald R. Peterson, president of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System. Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley also will speak on behalf of the people of Maryland, recognizing their significant support of the project.

Representing the UAE is His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, adviser to the President of the UAE, and His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan. Also in attendance will be the UAE Ambassador to the United States Yousef Al Otaiba, along with officials from the UAE Embassy in Washington, D.C.

The event will include performances by musicians and dancers from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and a video, “Building on the Promise,” produced for the occasion. The celebration will conclude with what planners are calling a dramatic, novel and colorful ribbon-cutting finale.

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