“We are on our way to Destination 2020,” said Deborah Feldman, President and CEO, “which is a future state for Dayton Children’s that continues our tradition of providing outstanding, world-class pediatric care for the children in our region.” The strategic plan encompasses extensive facility upgrades like the addition of the patient tower and integration of new medical technology, as well as initiatives to improve the patient experience, align with other care providers and organizations in the community, and enhance care quality and access for families throughout the region.

One important focus is ensuring that primary care pediatricians can refer their patients for pediatric specialty care with minimal delay. Patients used to have to wait weeks or months to see some specialists, which is far too long when anxious families are confronting unexpected, often frightening health concerns.

“We have worked extremely hard to get that time to get an appointment here down,” Feldman said. “It’s now under three days. In some cases, we can get the child in on the same day.” This acceleration is due in large part to the hospital’s efforts to recruit exceptional pediatric specialists to practice in Dayton. “They’re hard to come by,” Feldman admitted. “There are fewer than 500 in the whole country. We have been incredibly successful in the past few years and recruited over 30.”

The promise of practicing in a world-class facility and using state-of-the-art technology is an important element of the recruitment effort, but Feldman believes the appeal of joining Dayton Children’s goes deeper. “We’re able to say to these very, very talented, specialized physicians, ‘We have leadership in this community that puts kids first,’” she said. Feldman believes that the support of donors like the Mathile Family Foundation, which supported the hospital’s capital campaign with a crucial early gift, is an important demonstration of that commitment. “We’re getting calls from

physicians weekly saying ‘We hear something very special and exciting is happening in Dayton, and we want to be part of your team.’”

While the new patient care tower is only part of the solution, it will make a profound difference for the physicians, patients, families, and community members who spend time there. In addition to enabling the use of new, life-saving technology, as in the hospital’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, the tower is being designed from top to bottom with children and families in mind. For example, all patient rooms will be private. This is important because unlike adult patients, children typically have a family member stay with them all night. The first floor of the tower will feature a pharmacy, since many families live in areas with few or none, making it difficult to fill prescriptions.

An integrated facility will combine all components of cancer care, including inpatient, outpatient, labs, recreation, and therapy, so families can spend less time traveling, get better-coordinated care, and build stronger relationships with caregivers. The cafeteria will feature healthy food options and support nutritional programs to help address childhood obesity, a major cause of health problems among today’s youth.

Feldman and her team know a great deal about what children and families need, but they also made sure to ask the experts. Child and family input has guided everything from furniture choice, room layouts, and amenities to the design of the tower’s three-story entrance atrium.

“We have a children’s advisory committee and a parents’ advisory committee,” Feldman said. “They’ve been integrally involved in planning.” All of this effort—both in creating and realizing the vision of Destination 2020, and in ensuring that the hospital addresses the needs of community members—is well worthwhile, Feldman believes. Not only will it allow Dayton to continue to be home to one of just 40 standalone pediatric hospitals in the nation, but it will also enable dedicated caregivers to keep delivering the best possible outcomes and exceptional patient experiences for the children of our region for decades to come.

Dayton Children's Hospital