The Vanderbilt Eye Institute is set to open in the spring.
Children's grows
In September, the University Board of Trust took the first steps toward the expansion of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, approving $5.4 million in planning fees for a proposed eight-story, 340,000-square-foot addition.
The total cost of the expansion is projected to be $203 million, with groundbreaking in 2009 and construction to be completed in 2012, according to a project overview presented to the board.
VICC upgrade
The Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center began an ambitious renovation and expansion of its clinic space.
The estimated $15 million project, which began in the spring, is designed to significantly improve the patient experience. There will be double the square footage available for cancer care on the first and second floors of the clinic, and double the number of chemotherapy chairs, which will reduce wait times for patients. The renovation will increase the number of exam, consultation and procedure rooms by 75 percent.
There also will be a redesigned reception area in the lobby of the Frances Williams Preston Research Building and a larger, more centrally located Patient & Family Resource Center. Perhaps best of all, the waiting areas and treatment rooms will provide more natural light and more comfortable, spacious seating for patients and visitors.
New vision for Eye Institute
Next March, the Vanderbilt Eye Institute will move into its new home in the South Garage Office Building, a home that will be larger and better suited to deal with a burgeoning volume of patients than its present Medical Center East location.
The $11 million renovation project is effectively doubling space for the program to approximately 50,000 square feet.
The new, technologically advanced facility will have 53 exam rooms, a sizeable increase over the 33 exam rooms currently available. When complete, the facility will house the Tennessee Lion's Eye Center for Children, a refractive laser suite, diagnostics area, an optical retail shop, departmental offices and designated exam and waiting room areas for all sub-specialty care.
Education space
In August, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine held a grand opening celebration for its Center for Experiential Learning and Assessment (CELA), the first new teaching space for the school in 30 years. The facility in MRB IV houses state-of-the-art simulation technology, as well as the new anatomy laboratory on the top floor of the Vanderbilt Institute for Imaging Science.
Langford renovation
Langford Auditorium, VUMC's largest indoor event space, is undergoing a $5.5 million renovation to accommodate its modern-day need to host theater and dance productions in addition to lectures.
The project will replace outdated mechanical, electrical and AV systems, renovate the interior, and bring the auditorium up to an appropriate acoustical standard for lectures and amplified entertainment.
The lack of adequate backstage space is being addressed with a 2,800-square-foot expansion made possible by the MRBIV construction overhead.
Pharmacy move
VUMC opened a new, more conveniently located outpatient pharmacy in the lobby of the Medical Center East (MCE) complex.
The technologically advanced new facility replaced the pharmacy in the Medical Arts Building, and provides easier access for patients and physicians as well as generates an exciting growth opportunity for VUMC.
The new pharmacy is located between the end of the bridge from the main entrance to Vanderbilt University Hospital and the elevator lobby of Medical Center East.