CHOP expands pediatric care facilities with $125 million donation

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia achieved a major construction milestone in its Roberts Children’s Health expansion last month. 

The over 20-story expansion — set for completion in 2028 — will add hundreds of private patient rooms, along with new procedure and imaging spaces. The final beam was lifted into place on Jan. 28, concluding the first major phase of construction for the new inpatient complex. 

Roberts Children's Health and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker commemorated the progress at a ceremony last week. Parker — who graduated from the Fels Institute of Government in 2016 — and other participants signed the final beam before it was raised “as a symbol of innovation and the future of pediatric healthcare.” 

“Roberts Children’s Health is a testament to what we can achieve for our patients today and for generations to come,” Madeline Bell — who serves as the president and CEO of CHOP — wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “It will allow us to provide the most innovative and collaborative care, train future healthcare leaders, and empower our teams to do their very best work.”

Hospital leaders described the expansion as part of a long-term effort to “enhance the hospital experience” for patients and families and create a response to the growing demand for pediatric specialty care in the region. 

The complex — funded by a donation from Comcast Corporation CEO and Chair Brian Roberts and his wife — will “dramatically expand hospital capacity” and integrate new diagnostic and treatment areas to “streamline” medical care. In addition, it will provide amenities — such as fitness, meditation, and entertainment spaces — for patient families, who sometimes stay at the hospital for “months of intensive treatment.”

Bell also recognized the Roberts family’s “generosity and partnership” throughout the expansion initiative, which included a $125 million philanthropic gift — the largest single donation in CHOP’s history.

“Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is saving lives and advancing pediatric medicine for families around the world,” Roberts wrote to the DP. “My wife Aileen and I are humbled to play a small role in ensuring it remains a global destination for medical talent, a center for breakthrough innovation, and a beacon of hope for generations to come.”

CHOP is the nation’s oldest pediatric hospital and a teaching hospital for Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine. The hospital currently handles tens of thousands of admissions and more than 1.6 million outpatient visits annually. 

---