The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (BMSCH) is a freestanding, 105-bed pediatric acute care children's hospital adjacent to RWJUH. It is affiliated with both Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the neighboring PSE&G Children's Specialized Hospital, and is one of three children's hospitals in the RWJBarnabas Health network. The hospital provides comprehensive pediatric specialties and subspecialties to infants, children, teens, and young adults aged 0–21 throughout New Jersey and features an ACS verified level II pediatric trauma center. Its regional pediatric intensive-care unit and neonatal intensive care units serve the Central New Jersey region.
History
Before the construction of the new children's hospital, pediatric services were provided at pediatric units within RWJUH, a "hospital within the hospital." These units were referred to as The Children's Hospital at RWJUH and featured 70 pediatric beds. In 1997, RWJ announced that a dedicated children's hospital would be constructed next to the adult hospital campus.
In 1999 it was announced that the name for the new hospital would be "The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital" after the pharmaceutical company donated $5 million to the hospital.
Groundbreaking for the new dedicated children's hospital building occurred in June, 1998.
The hospital opened March, 2001 at a cost of $39 million. The hospital originally consisted of 5 floors and 125,000 square feet of space and 58 patient beds. When the hospital opened it was New Jersey's only freestanding children's hospital.
In 2004 a partnership between Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian and BMSCH to help with the creation of a pediatric heart surgery and cardiology program.
In 2005, the hospital extended up 3 floors adding 63,000 square feet of space for another $20 million. The hospital did not close during the expansion and remained operational.
In 2007, Bristol Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at RWJUH was joined by the PSE&G Children's Specialized Hospital and the Child Health Institute of New Jersey (RWJMS) to create the first pediatric medical campus in New Jersey, with pediatric acute care, rehabilitation, and research were combined on one campus.
In 2007, the hospital opened up a new unit named the "Center for Immune System Disorders and Infectious Diseases" to care for pediatric patients with immune system disorders or infectious diseases. The unit was funded from a $5 million donation from Bristol Myers Squibb pharmaceuticals.In 2012 Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital became the first hospital in New Jersey to be verified as a Pediatric Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons. The pediatric emergency department and pediatric trauma center for the hospital are located adjacent to the RWJUH adult ed. The hospital was verified as a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center. In 2013, Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital opened up a new $11.5 million, 17,000 square foot facility named "The Center for Advanced Pediatric Surgery." The new unit features 6 operating rooms, 10 pre and post operative beds and five private rooms in a PACU. This new unit helped to free up adult operating rooms and also helped to draw in skilled pediatric surgeons for the hospital.
In 2017 RWJBarnabas announced that they would be partnering with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to boost their pediatric capabilities by sharing physicians and best practices with all of the RWJBarnabas Health children's hospitals. The agreement will also send patients that the hospitals cannot handle to CHOP.
After the 2018 bankruptcy of Toys-r-us, liquidation sales were handled by attorney Joseph Malfitano who wanted to see the 16-foot-tall Geoffrey the Giraffe statue go to a children's hospital. He contacted the BMSCH who accepted the statue for their lobby, with Malfitano covering the $10,000 shipping cost. The statue was unveiled on July 11, 2018.
In 2019, the hospital opened up a new renovated pediatric emergency department adjacent to the RWJUH adult emergency room. The renovation created a space where pediatric patients aged 0–21 could be separate from adults that require treatment. The renovation added 17 private pediatric patient bays with three dedicated bays for behavioral health and a sensory room for children and adolescents with autism or sensory disorders. The renovation was a part of the larger RWJUH ed renovation which lasted two years and cost $60 million.