In late July the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) will open the Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care, the largest single building project in the medical center's 160-year history.

The 700,000 square foot center, erected across from CHOP's main medical center at a cost of $600 million, will house all of its outpatient specialty care services, which are currently housed at various locations around the hospital's campus on Civic Center Boulevard.

The trend in health care is shifting away from inpatient care, according to Doug Carney CHOP's senior vice president of facilities and construction management, who noted that CHOP continues to expand its networks of special care centers closer to patients' homes, including replacement centers in Princeton, NJ, and King of Prussia, Pa, with a new one to open shortly in Brandywine, Pa. 

Carney said the entire center, which will open in phases with full occupancy expected in December, 2015, was designed to provide distractions for children, who often must make many visits for outpatient care; relieve stress for families, and deliver care more efficiently.

Among the features of the new building are a 14,000 square foot rooftop garden for relaxation and rehabilitation sessions; a rehabilitation gym for physical and occupation therapy that includes a climbing wall; a day hospital for outpatient infusions and treatment for cancer patients, and a five-floor underground parking garage with spaces for 1,500 cars.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is consistently ranked among the top hospitals specializing in pediatric care in the United States.