PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has expanded with the opening of a new inpatient facility in King of Prussia. The new facility is next door to CHOP’s existing specialty and urgent care center.
This is CHOP's second location, and it is the first pediatric emergency room in Montgomery County. Dr. Allison Ballentine, chief medical officer at the new hospital, said the facility is opening with 52 beds, and it will eventually expand to 108 beds.
“We have an emergency department, an ICU, we have a medical unit, four operating rooms, a cancer unit,” Ballenitne said.
This is a 250,000 square foot facility. While CHOP King of Prussia is a fraction of the size of the Philadelphia campus, Ballentine says it is still pretty big for being solely focused on pediatrics.
“This hospital is specifically dedicated to children, and all of our resources are focused on children,” Ballentine said. “So, we have little, teeny-tiny test tubes. And we have, you know, decorated elevator lobbies, and the whole nine yards.”
Some services are exclusive to the King of Prussia location, while others, such as neurosurgery and oral surgery, are available only in Philadelphia. But both places she says work hand in hand, she said.
“When patients or families come to our emergency department, if they require transport to the Philadelphia hospital, we will take care of that. That's part of what we are. We are here as a front door. We will help you find the room within our giant house, whether it's here at KOP or downtown Philly.”
She says having a location in King of Prussia eases the burden on families who are already dealing with a lot. It is highly accessible for families in the suburbs or who may be coming in for treatment from other parts of the country. And, while parking in Philadelphia can be difficult and expensive, there are 600 free parking spots at the King of Prussia campus.
The hospital is located at Goddard Boulevard and Gulph Road, close to the turnpike and convenient to I-76 and routes 202 and 422.