HcKg Tour of UH Women & Children’s Hospital

The Bexar County Hospital District University Health is a political subdivision of the state of Texas and is a nationally-recognized academic medical center owned by the people of Bexar County. Accredited by The Joint Commission, the Health System serves as the primary teaching locations for UT Health-San Antonio, its affiliated academic partner.

The design of the new Women’s & Children’s Hospital includes 300 beds, both new and replacement, for Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and state-designated Level IV maternal facility with obstetric and gynecology services, a pediatric program including the only Level I Pediatric Trauma Center and Pediatric Burn Program in South Texas, a replacement kitchen and dining facility for the campus, a satellite pediatric pharmacy, and shell space for future programmatic growth. The hospital tower is situated over an attached 900 car garage and the project is seeking a LEED Gold Certification.

The design team was charged with creating an iconic building utilizing best practices to make University Health System the anchor for a culture of outstanding comprehensive children’s and women’s care. Prior to beginning design, a detailed schedule including  a series of early enabling packages was developed through the use of Pull-Planning Strategy Sessions to meet the fast-track design and construction schedule. Multiple full-scale mock-ups were developed through the Construction Manager and Design-Assist partners resulting in collaborative feedback to design challenges and informed decision making by staff. Patient and family experience was prioritized with direct access to daylight, exterior views and the integration of art into wayfinding. Evidence-Based Design principles and respect for the diversity of human experience within such a setting informed the programming and design.