LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Norton Children's Hospital has announced plans for a new pediatric care campus in east Louisville.
State and local leaders were on hand for the announcement Wednesday afternoon.
The new campus will be built on a 150-acre plot of land on Tucker Station Road, right next to the Gene Snyder and Interstate 64 in Jefferson County.
The plans include a full-service hospital for children with complex medical needs, research facilities and expanded specialty services.
The goal is to provide the care, that many patients currently have to leave the state for, locally.
"We believe it will be a national destination for lifesaving care — with virtually no limit to how we can shape what children’s health care and family support will look like in the future,” Russell F. Cox, president and CEO of Norton Healthcare and Norton Children’s, said in a news release. "Our vision is to build a village for pediatric care unlike anything Kentucky or the region has seen. This campus will bring together leading-edge technology; top pediatric specialists; and compassionate, family-centered care — all in one place."
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A little girl named Lily joined Wednesday's announcement with her parents. She's received specialized care at a Norton facility after being diagnosed with a heart defect. Thanks to Norton doctors, she's about to celebrate her 2nd birthday.
"While we're fortunate to have this care close to home, many Kentucky families face the added burden of traveling hours away, leaving behind work, siblings, and support systems just to access this specialized care," Lily's mom, Lauren Cherry-Newcomb, said. "That's why today's announcement is so meaningful. Growing pediatric care right here means more children can receive world class care just like Lily did, close to home."
Norton Children's wants to build the campus with the community in mind and will be gathering input. Listening sessions will be held across Kentucky and southern Indiana over the next year. The first will be held in July, beginning in Louisville with other cities to follow.
The new campus will not replace the children's hospital in downtown Louisville.
Leaders said the site will be developed in phases. The first phase will include the construction of the new full-service pediatric hospital. Other phases include the addition of behavioral and mental health care, expanded clinic space for pediatric specialists, and research facilities leaders said will support the development of new treatments and cures for childhood conditions.
Norton said the U.S. is among the lowest developed countries for children's health, citing UNICEF.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 20% of the nation's children between the ages of 6 and 11 are obese, increasing the risk of future health problems, Norton said. The deadliest conditions for children between the ages of 5 and 9 include accidents, cancer and congenital disorders. Health officials said those often require specialized, ongoing care.
"Our doctors and scientists are going to take research and innovation to a new level," Gov. Andy Beshear, who attended and spoke at Wednesday's announcement, said in a news release. "And we are going to build one of, if not the, largest pediatric health campuses in the country, creating 1,000 jobs for this hospital. That makes this the largest jobs announcement in Kentucky this year."
Norton said the average employee's salary at the new hospital alone is expected to be around $60,000.
To learn more or look at early renderings of the project, click here. Norton said this webpage will be updated with information about the community listening sessions and updates on the campus, including a groundbreaking date once it has been finalized.
Leaders said more information about the full plans for the campus will be shared after the community listening sessions.
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