Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC Opening New South Hills Location

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC officials celebrated their newest location with a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday morning.

"Children's South" is set to relocate from its current location in Bethel Park to South Fayette Township in October 2014.

Christopher Gessner, president of Children's Hospital, said that the hospital has outgrown its Bethel Park facility and that he's excited about the visibility and accessibility of the new South Fayette location, which is near the Bridgeville exit of Interstate 79 at 100 Hickory Grade Rd.

Currently, there is a vacant movie theater sitting on the property. Ryan Eggleston, South Fayette manager, said that it's still not known if the building will be demolished or renovated.

The new facility will house Children's outpatient, primary care and after-hours care. New and expanded services will include increased exam room space for expanded pediatric subspecialty care; state-of-the-art pediatric-based radiology; Children's Express Care South Fayette, an after-hours pediatric care center; 15,000 square feet of open gym and exam room space for rehabilitation services such as speech and physical therapy; expansion of pediatric behavioral health services; and a new site for Children's Community Pediatrics–South Fayette.

The new Children's South is designed to resemble the hospital's main campus in Lawrenceville—from an abundance of natural light to distraction therapy features for various age groups. The building will be LEED certified, according to Gessner.

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