The latest phase of a massive plan to transform Overlook, the 12,000-square-foot children’s center brings together the Meri and Sol Barer Inpatient Pediatric Center (previously on the hospital’s sixth floor) and the Michael Gordon Reeves Pediatric Emergency Department in one convenient, family-friendly space.
“This combined and innovative approach to pediatric care is one of only a few of its kind in the northern New Jersey region,” says Walter Rosenfeld, M.D., chairman of pediatrics for the system. “By centralizing pediatric services, we can dramatically reduce the time from an emergency department visit to an inpatient room for children requiring hospitalization.”
Donors Jeff and Eleanor Peris in the “Imaginarium” pediatric play area
The Hersh Children’s Center is funded, in part, by a $2 million grant from the Dorothy B. Hersh Foundation, and features
- Nine inpatient rooms, including two isolation rooms and Liam’s Room (for patients with serious chronic conditions or life-limiting illnesses)
- Eight emergency department rooms staffed by pediatric emergency physicians, pediatric subspecialists, and pediatric nurses
- One flexible room for emergency department patients or inpatients and families
- A play area with skylights and a garden outside the entrance
- Family lounges, comfortable waiting areas, and patient consultation rooms
- In-room accommodations for parents to comfortably stay the night with their children
- Numerous structural and design elements to enhance safety, serenity, and security for patients and families
A $2.5 million pledge from the Nicholas J. and Anna K. Bouras Foundation funded the relocation of the Michael Gordon Reeves Pediatric Emergency Department, as well as new adult Emergency Department waiting and triage rooms and additional patient rooms.
William Crane, president and trustee of the Nicholas J. and Anna K. Bouras Foundation
