Hope for Every Child
Since its humble beginning as the Oklahoma Orphanage in 1898, Bethany Children’s Health Center has grown into an innovative leader in the field of pediatric rehabilitation and 24-hour complex care. Emerging as an influential, nationally recognized leader in child and adolescent physical rehabilitation medicine, the demand for outpatient services and expertise at Bethany Children’s is eclipsing the physical space. This is causing wait times to grow, potentially leaving children without the timely care they need for healing and improved quality of life. Bethany Children’s Health Center’s outpatient services not only extend our reach to more children and families in Oklahoma, but also fuel our aspirations to make a meaningful impact on healthcare through telemedicine and training programs, spanning across our state and the nation. Today the Hospital provides the best of the best in primary care, specialty services and therapies, as well as providing continuing post-discharge care for inpatients. Many of these specialty services are hard to find across the country, much less in Oklahoma.
The Next Phase of Outpatient Services
In order to alleviate a growing wait list, hire and train more healthcare professionals, and share providers’ expertise by being a center of shared learning, Bethany Children’s Health Center has identified areas of expansion and growth that will allow the hospital to address future health care needs in both inpatient and outpatient services, continue to expand vital community wellness and outreach programs, and focus on the unique and specialized services the Hospital provides to meet the ongoing demand for varying levels of care.
The Hospital has experienced firsthand the growing need for outpatient services. In 2017, Bethany Children’s outpatient services relocated to the newly constructed tower on campus, which allowed for significant growth through additional providers and an expansion of services. In 2021, outpatient therapy clinics recorded 14,505 patient visits. The primary care pediatric clinic saw 7,700 patient visits. As the demand for these services continues to grow, the space currently utilized by outpatient providers will not be adequate to offer the level of care and service to which Bethany Children’s is committed.
Within Bethany Children’s Health Center’s Master’s plan for expansion, the construction and implementation of the Outpatient Tower will play a vital role in establishing Bethany Children’s as a nationally recognized center of excellence. This plan will more than quadruple the current operating space, providing more access to more children.
The planned Outpatient Tower will house a robust rehabilitation center with an emphasis on Physiatry (Rehabilitation) and other specialty services that are hard to access in the state. The center will feature leading-edge technologies and equipment. In some cases, Bethany Children’s will have equipment right here in Oklahoma that might be ound in only a handful of hospitals across the country. Guided by the vision and creativity of Storyland Studios and Rees Architects, the concept developed for the $150 million, 200,000 square foot Outpatient Tower offers a one-of-a-kind design that will become a landmark on historic Route 66. What better way to symbolize the transformation of a child who receives specialized care than a vibrant, colorful, four-story caterpillar that will become a butterfly soaring into the next phase of their journey?
The environment of the Outpatient Tower has been thoughtfully designed to inspire hope in children and their families. This expanded space will allow the primary care and specialty providers at Bethany Children’s to serve more families from Oklahoma and beyond in a more effective way. In this larger space, additional providers can offer the highest quality services with reduced wait times. The specialty care required by a growing number of families, yet not accessible in many parts of the region, will be easily accessed in one place.
As a center of excellence, the Outpatient Tower at Bethany Children’s will support and encourage collaboration and training, furthering the reputation of the Hospital as a leader in pediatric care and rehabilitation on a national level.
Bethany Children’s Health Center has laid a foundation based on excellence and a commitment to maximizing the potential of every child, and the time is right to build on that foundation. Every child should have access to the outstanding care and specialized medical and rehabilitation services offered at Bethany Children’s, and the hope that these services offer to their families.
You can make a difference
We invite you to join us in our efforts to serve more children and families in Oklahoma. If you would like to make a major gift or learn more about Bethany Children’s Health Center’s plans for expansion, please contact Josh L. Trimble at foundation@bethanychildrens.org.