Cincinnati Children's to expand hospital and add medical office building at Liberty Campus

Inpatient beds to more than double, improving access to care for patients and families in and around Butler County

CINCINNATI, Jan. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cincinnati Children's plans a major expansion at its Liberty Campus, improving access to world-class care for kids and families in Butler County and surrounding areas. The expansion will more than double the number of inpatient hospital beds and add surgical operating rooms. 

The project will also include construction of a large medical office building next to the hospital, accommodating numerous outpatient specialty clinics. 

"We are improving access for children and families in and around Butler County by bringing more services close to home," said Steve Davis, MD, president and CEO of Cincinnati Children's. "New construction as well as the renovation of existing parts of the hospital will feature advanced technology combined with the personal touches suggested by patient families, the community, our medical providers and staff." 

Site preparation will start in March 2025, and construction will begin this summer on the four-story medical office building. Many of the clinical services that will be based there are already available at the Liberty Campus, but relocating them to the medical office building will free up space in the hospital. The medical office building is scheduled for completion in 2027. 

A four-story addition to the hospital will include four new operating rooms and three new surgical procedure rooms, plus 10 more rooms for the Emergency Department and add 72 inpatient beds. Combined with the existing 42 beds at Liberty, the campus will have a total of 114 inpatient beds upon completion of that portion of the project in summer 2028.

Renovation of more than 100,000 square feet of existing space at the hospital will improve patient flow and add eight new rooms for imaging upon completion in summer 2029. The renovation also will allow for expansion of the pharmacy, lab and Sterile Processing Department as well as an increase in administrative and education spaces plus an outdoor dining area. Construction will also include a new lobby and patient drop-off spot. 

Cincinnati Children's opened the 61-acre Liberty Campus in 2008, bringing pediatric emergency services to the northern suburbs as well as operating rooms, clinics and 12 beds. Medical providers cared for 446 patients on the first day, Aug. 11, 2008.

In 2010, the campus opened an inpatient unit, which enabled children to be admitted for more than one night. An Urgent Care was added in 2014. An expansion of the Liberty Campus in 2015 increased the number of beds from 12 to 42. And in 2016 at the Liberty Campus, Cincinnati Children's opened a Proton Therapy Center, which is one of the most advanced cancer research and treatment centers in the world. 

"In the very first year that Cincinnati Children's Liberty Campus was open, the patients we cared for had approximately 109,000 visits," said Evaline Alessandrini, MD, chief operating officer. "Now, our Liberty Campus has nearly tripled in volume of care delivered – with more than 282,000 patient encounters a year, including an average of 60 surgeries a day. As more and more families who live near the Liberty Campus or in surrounding areas rely on our teams, we are investing in the resources needed to continue to provide access to the best outcomes by the best people.

"Another benefit of these improvements includes allowing families to be cared for closer to their homes in Butler County or surrounding communities versus requiring transfer to Avondale," Alessandrini said. "Being able to keep kids at the Liberty Campus will also increase patient and surgical capacity at our Burnet Campus, which is equipped for highly complex surgeries and treatment of rare disorders."

At least 250 new jobs will be created at the Liberty Campus over five years as a result of the expansion, Alessandrini noted. Currently, more than 1,025 Cincinnati Children's employees work at the Liberty Campus. Overall employment at Cincinnati Children's is 19,500. 

Cincinnati Children's estimates the initial investment in the entire Liberty Campus expansion will be $365 million, which includes design, construction and medical equipment. 

About Cincinnati Children's
Cincinnati Children's is ranked among the best pediatric health systems in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, including No. 1 in pediatric cancer care, gastroenterology and pulmonology. Cincinnati Children's also ranks among the nation's best for pediatric and adolescent behavioral health. Established in 1883, Cincinnati Children's is a nonprofit that cares for patients from all 50 states and dozens of countries, including kids with complex or rare disorders. More information: CincinnatiChildrens.org 

SOURCE Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center