The Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital is still targeting a fall opening.

Construction is complete after over 1.6 million person-hours of work which was done on schedule.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority now takes on the task of stocking the 286-million dollar facility with 77-thousand pieces of equipment and furniture.

The 176-bed hospital is bright with pictures of animals throughout while also having kitchens and common areas for families as well as play areas and even a classroom.

S-H-A Head of Pediatrics Dr. Lauentiu Givelichian says making the experience as family oriented as possible will ease the anxiety for their young patients and points out studies show that accelerates the healing process.

Family access to healing children is maximized with the ability in some units to stay overnight and parents can accompany children headed for surgery all to way to the operating room entrance.

Givelichian stresses the goal is to treat as many children as possible closer to their homes.

S-H-A Vice President of Provincial Programs Corey Miller says the design and look of the building were devised after extensive consultations with staff, families and patients.

He is confident they will be able to recruit the specialists they need because of the quality of the facility which is also laid out to be user friendly for physicians and their support staff.

The hospital will employ 72 full-time physicians and over 24-hundred support staff who will be trained on site until it starts taking patients.

The province’s share of the project is over 257-million dollars with the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation contributing over 28-million to the capital cost. The foundation has also raised 75-million for equipment and furnishings.