John R. Oishei Children's Hospital

John R. Oishei Children's Hospital
Kaleida Health
A photo of the facade in early August 2019.
Geography
Location	Buffalo, New York, United States
Coordinates	42.900623°N 78.867444°W / 42.900623; -78.867444
Organization
Funding	Non-profit hospital
Type	Specialist
Affiliated university	Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Services
Emergency department	Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center
Beds	197[1]
Speciality	Children's hospital
Helipads
Helipad	FAA LID: 1NY2
Number Length Surface ft m H1 45 x 45 14 × 14 rooftop
History
Construction started	2014; 10 years ago (2014)
Opened	November 10, 2017; 7 years ago (2017-11-10) (replacing a hospital founded in 1892)
Links
Website	www.ochbuffalo.org
Lists	Hospitals in New York State

John R. Oishei Children's Hospital (OCH), sometimes known as simply Oishei Children's is a women's and children's hospital in Buffalo, New York, that opened on November 10, 2017, and provides pediatric specialties and subspecialties to infants, children, teens, and young adults up to age 21,^[2][3] and maternity services for expectant mothers.^[4] It is located at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and has 185 inpatient beds.^[5][6] It is a pediatric facility serving patients in Western New York and parts of Southern Ontario. The hospital is one of the only freestanding children's hospitals in New York State. OCH is a teaching hospital affiliated with the State University of New York at Buffalo^[7] and is affiliated with the Kaleida Health System.

The hospital contains an ACS verified level 1 pediatric trauma center, one of the few in the region.^[8][9] OCH also has a rooftop helipad to transport critically ill patients to and from the hospital.^[10][11]

The hospital is named after the John R. Oishei Foundation, which donated $10 million for the development of the hospital.^[12]

History

Pediatrics in Buffalo dates back to 1892 when the original Children's Hospital of Buffalo (later renamed to Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo WCHOB) opened on Bryant Street.^[13][14]

The push for a new children's hospital in Buffalo dates back to 1999 when plans for a new children's hospital to replace the old Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo were created due to aging facilities and a lack of modern amenities at the old WCHOB. The plans from Kaleida Health included moving the children's hospital to the downtown Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus to better consolidate their facilities.^[15] Residents of Buffalo did not support the planned move and launched a campaign against the movement and Kaleida Health called "save our children's hospital," which included many celebrities from Buffalo including Jim Kelly and Pat LaFontaine.^[16]

The Women's and Children's Hospital of Buffalo, which was closed in 2017

In 2007 new proposals from Kaleida Health to renovate the hospital at the existing site angered many residents who were concerned that renovations of the hospital would ruin the character of the neighborhood. Kaleida then returned to the original proposal to move the hospital downtown. This renewed proposal met with much less resistance from the general public than their previous attempts.^[17]

Construction on the hospital started in 2014 at an estimated cost of $350 million, $35 million of which was provided by the state of New York and $10 million from the John R. Oishei Foundation.^[18][19] The hospital was built by Turner Construction^[20] and designed by the acclaimed architectural firm, Shepley Bulfinch.^[21] The design included 12 floors and 400,000 square feet of space.^[22][23]

On November 10, 2017, 125 patients were moved from the old WCHOB to the new hospital by a team of doctors, nurses, and volunteers. American Medical Response provided the transport services including specialized Critical Care Transport for patients in the multiple Intensive Care Units at the old hospital.^[24][25]

(left to right) in the distance are the Conventus building, Oishei Children's Hospital, and Buffalo General Hospital Building A.

In 2020, following the advice of the CDC, the hospital limited the amount of visitors, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospital limited visitors to only 2 parents or guardians for children, and one significant other for pregnant women.^[26][27][28] Also in the wake of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital added ICU beds and placed NICU patients in the same room as their mother. The hospital also created a plan to host adult patients in the case of a patient surge.^[29] Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has done charity work with Oishei Children's Hospital. On November 8, 2020, Allen led the Bills to a 44–34 upset win over the Seattle Seahawks. After the game, it was revealed that Allen's grandmother, Patricia Allen, had passed away the night before the game.^[30][31] In response, fans of the Buffalo Bills (colloquially known as 'Bills Mafia') began to donate to Oishei Children's Hospital in $17 increments (17 being Allen's jersey number). As of November 17, 2020, the total amount donated had exceeded $650,000.^[32] On November 21, 2020, Oishei Children's Hospital announced that they would be naming a new wing on the 10th floor as the "Patricia Allen Pediatric Recovery Wing" to honor the donations received by the Bills fans.^[33][34][35]

In November, 2020 the hospital announced that they had expanded their age limit from 21 to 25 to better handle COVID-19 surge capacity.^[36][37]

Features

The hospital contains an ACS verified level 1 pediatric trauma center, one of the few in the region,^[38][39] and a rooftop helipad to transport critically ill patients to and from the hospital.^[40][41]

The hospital has an American Academy of Pediatrics level III neonatal intensive care unit with a capacity of 64 beds for critically ill newborn babies.^[42] Overall, the facility has 185 inpatient beds.^[43][44]

The new construction includes amenities commonly seen in modern children's hospitals, including an open airy lobby, colorful spaces, playrooms, and places for parents and children to relax.^{[citation needed]}

Awards

During its first two years of operation, OCH was named as a top children's hospital by The Leapfrog Group, an independent organization dedicated to providing transparency and safety in hospital environments.^[45][46][47]

Controversy

In 2019 it was revealed that a hospital physician, Kathryn Bass, made gross surgical mistakes on several patients and did not report them to state or hospital officials. Bass reached a settlement with the state medical board and pleaded no contest and was put on probation.^[48][49]

See also

• List of children's hospitals in the United States
• Kaleida Health
• SUNY Buffalo
• Buffalo General Hospital

References

1. "Our Hospital at a Glance". Archived from the original on 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
2. "Emergency Care Center". Oishei Children's Hospital. Archived from the original on 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
3. "Surgery - Pediatric General & Thoracic". Oishei Children's Hospital. Archived from the original on 2020-09-26. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
4. "Maternity Services". Oishei Children's Hospital. Archived from the original on 2020-09-26. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
5. "American Hospital Directory – John R. Oishei Children's Hospital (333300) – Free Profile". www.ahd.com. Archived from the original on 2020-02-04. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
6. "John R. Oishei Children's Hospital". Children's Hospital Association. Archived from the original on 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
7. "Hospital Affiliations". Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Archived from the original on 2019-12-31. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
8. "Trauma Centers". American College of Surgeons. Archived from the original on 2020-09-26. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
9. "New York State Trauma Centers: Western New York". State of New York Department of Health. Archived from the original on 2020-03-31. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
10. "AirNav: 1NY2 - Oishei Childrens Hospital Heliport". www.airnav.com. Archived from the original on 2017-11-12. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
11. "Helipad Planned for New Oishei Children's Hospital". Medical Construction and Design. 19 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-03-31. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
12. "Kaleida Health to Name New Hospital John R. Oishei Children's Hospital". Beckers Hospital Review. Archived from the original on 2020-02-04. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
13. "About WCHOB – Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo – A Kaleida Health Facility". Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo. July 16, 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
14. Rege, Alyssa (8 November 2017). "Why a New York women and children's hospital is dropping 'women' from its name". Beckers Hospital Review. Archived from the original on 2017-11-08. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
15. Davis, Henry L. (2017-11-04). "How the new Oishei Children's Hospital came to be". The Buffalo News. Archived from the original on 8 November 2017. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
16. ADAMS, BRUCE (13 November 2017). "Long Story Short: Night—and day—moves". www.buffalospree.com. Archived from the original on 2017-12-13. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
17. "How the new Oishei Children's Hospital came to be". Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. 2017-11-04. Archived from the original on 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
18. Gallivan, Peter (6 November 2017). "Unknown Stories of WNY: The Man Behind The Oishei Foundation". WGRZ. Archived from the original on 2020-09-26. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
19. "GROUND IS BROKEN TO MAKE WAY FOR NEW OISHEI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL". Congressman Brian Higgins. 2014-10-08. Archived from the original on 2020-01-17. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
20. Fink, James (17 October 2014). "Turner Construction overseeing development of new Children's hospital". Buffalo Business First. Archived from the original on 2014-12-06. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
21. "John R. Oishei Children's Hospital". www.architectmagazine.com. 16 March 2018. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
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23. "Progress Continues on New Oishei Children's Hospital". Medical Construction and Design. 27 June 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-09-18. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
24. "Oishei Children's Hospital welcomes patients". WKBW. 2017-11-10. Archived from the original on 2020-02-15. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
25. Schneider, Avery. "Patients, staff move from Women & Children's to new Oishei Children's Hospital". news.wbfo.org. Archived from the original on 2020-02-04. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
26. Desmond, Mike. "'You're waiting for a hurricane,' says head of children's hospital nurses". news.wbfo.org. Archived from the original on 2020-04-01. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
27. "Oishei Children's Hospital in Buffalo Still Safe for Baby Deliveries". spectrumlocalnews.com. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
28. "Severe flu season leads Oishei Children's Hospital to restrict some visitors". News 4 Buffalo. 2020-01-15. Archived from the original on 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
29. Drury, Tracey (26 March 2020). "Will age, gender restrict access to Buffalo hospitals?". Buffalo Business First. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
30. McCarriston, Shanna. "Bills fans donate over $200K to children's hospital in honor of Josh Allen's late grandmother". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
31. "Bills Mafia has donated over $275,000 to Oishei Children's Hospital honoring Josh Allen's grandma". WKBW. 2020-11-10. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
32. @OCHBuffalo (11 Nov 2020). "Didn't take long #BillsMafia You've passed $300,000 in donations honoring Patricia Allen Blue heart On behalf of our patients and staff thank you for making an impact on their lives" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
33. "Bills fans and Patricia Allen to be recognized by Oishei Children's Hospital". www.buffalobills.com. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
34. Plus, Buffalo (2020-11-21). "Oishei Children's Hospital announces plans to honor Patricia Allen". WHAM. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
35. Ryan, Patrick (2020-11-21). "Oishei Children's Hospital dedicates building wing to Josh Allen's late grandmother, launches new fund". News 4 Buffalo. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
36. Erbacher, Megan (2020-11-25). "Oishei Children's Hospital prepared to admit young adults as coronavirus cases rise in Western New York". WKBW. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
37. Anstey, Evan (2020-11-25). "Oishei temporarily admitting patients up to age 25". News 4 Buffalo. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
38. "Trauma Centers". American College of Surgeons. Archived from the original on 2020-09-26. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
39. "New York State Trauma Centers: Western New York". State of New York Department of Health. Archived from the original on 2020-03-31. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
40. "AirNav: 1NY2 - Oishei Childrens Hospital Heliport". www.airnav.com. Archived from the original on 2017-11-12. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
41. "Helipad Planned for New Oishei Children's Hospital". Medical Construction and Design. 19 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-03-31. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
42. "NICUSearch". American Academy of Pediatrics. Archived from the original on 2020-03-03. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
43. "American Hospital Directory – John R. Oishei Children's Hospital (333300) – Free Profile". www.ahd.com. Archived from the original on 2020-02-04. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
44. "John R. Oishei Children's Hospital". Children's Hospital Association. Archived from the original on 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
45. "Nation's top children's hospital is in Buffalo". WKBW. December 18, 2019. Archived from the original on 2020-02-04. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
46. WGRZ Staff (18 December 2019). "John R. Oishei Children's Hospital named Top Children's Hospital by watchdog group". WGRZ. Archived from the original on 2020-09-26. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
47. Drury, Tracey (5 December 2018). "Oishei Children's Hospital attains top rating on national list". Buffalo Business Journal. Archived from the original on 2020-09-26. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
48. Keith, Charlotte (2019-04-10). "State faults surgeon at Children's Hospital". Investigative Post. Archived from the original on 2019-04-11. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
49. Post), Charlotte Keith (Investigative. "2012 Inspection Report". www.documentcloud.org. Archived from the original on 2020-09-26. Retrieved 2020-05-08.

External links

• Oishei Children's Hospital
• Kaleida Health – Buffalo, NY