Methodist Le Bonheur Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit Expansion

Project Statement

Established in 1952, Methodist Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital is located in Memphis, TN and is often recognized as a “Best Children’s Hospital.” This designation comes from the high standard of patient care Le Bonheur brings to the approximately 14,000 pediatric patients treated annually. Additionally, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital serves as a teaching facility in partnership with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

The CVICU Expansion project seeks to further that level of care through thoughtful design and programmatic use. With the addition, the hospital replaces a 10-bed cardiovascular ICU and increases the existing Level IV Neonatal ICU bed count by 14, with the capacity for an additional 16-NICU beds in the future. The addition of a hybrid Catheterization Lab and MRI makes Le Bonheur one of only eight facilities in the country able to perform advanced cross-disciplinary cardiac procedures with enhanced patient safety due to less time spent under anesthesia.

To complete these objectives, disruption to the facility was minimized through phasing, allowing for staggered completion and occupancy. Said multi-phased approach meant patient services could continue uninterrupted—a vital requirement due to the acute needs of the population.

The expansion is designed to fit within limited site constraints and a seismic zone. Due to the client’s desire to avoid an expansion joint, the addition was hard-tied to the existing structure. This created a unique challenge through irregular torsion which had to be reconciled with innovative structural methods.

An additional challenge surrounded sound/vibration control between the Catheterization Lab and adjacent MRI, both of which exist on an elevated slab within the original facility footprint. While designed to be used for shared cases, each space is also required to function independently. Successful control of sound/vibration determined whether the facility could utilize this space with the flexibility and frequency needed.

Interior solutions modernized the expansion while looking towards the future. Pediatric care can range from newborns upward to early 20’s. Designing for this full spectrum of ages was at the forefront of the minds of the team—aiming to create a space that was energetic yet calming, youthful yet mature.

Framework for Design Excellence Narrative

- Integration: Methodist Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital is located in downtown Memphis, Tennessee--a vibrant city rich in culture and history. A geographical feature of the city is the Mississippi River, which flows through the heart of downtown. The new expansion drew inspiration from this life source, its shorelines and the natural foliage of the region. These influences informed the evolved interior finish palette featured within The Heart Institute, including the Cath/MRI shared case suite.
- Wellbeing: Studies have found that access to natural light and views of nature in healthcare settings can reduce stress and improve recovery times. It has also been proven that well-designed amenity spaces encourage more physical movement and social interaction, which can positively affect a pediatric patient’s well-being and recovery. The project team gathered input from a multitude of stakeholders including patients, caregivers, and family-focus groups. In the end, an overarching goal was to create spaces that provided positive distractions and helped reduce anxiety for all occupants.
- Discovery: Creating positive distractions through calming sensory experiences, such as light and sound, help promote healing without negatively impacting operations or quality of care. Beyond the whimsy of the central courtyard, the patient headwalls include constellation patterns overhead to carry that playfulness and need for patient distraction indoors. Patients have the ability to customize the colors of their "stars" above and the durability of the solid surface headwalls will aid in the longevity of these high-use spaces.