East Twin Cities

Shriners Hospitals for Children issued the following announcement on Sept 15.

The University of Minnesota has struck a purchase agreement to acquire the Shriners Healthcare for Children — Twin Cities property for $22.5 million, including the 103,000-square-foot hospital on the site, plus a small hotel and conference space, and a 172-space parking ramp on the 10-acre property. Shriners’ medical services are moving to Woodbury.

The University of Minnesota's Board of Regents, which has until December 9 for due diligence, is slated to consider the purchase agreement at its upcoming meeting on Thursday, September 12.

Shriners Healthcare for Children — Twin Cities has been at the East River Parkway site for nearly 100 years and will continue outpatient clinical services at the site through next spring. Shriners Healthcare for Children — Twin Cities staff are looking forward to continuing to serve the patients and the community in their new clinic in Woodbury, which is currently under construction and set to come online in summer of 2020.

Shriners Healthcare for Children’s new facility will allow the staff to provide a wide range of services for children with orthopaedic conditions including:

• Clinic services: providing a family-centered, team approach to care. Patients will see specialty physicians, nurses, therapists and other pediatric-trained specialists in an environment designed for children.
• Child life: providing families with support during appointments through play and anxiety-coping activities. The child life program also offers over 20 camps and programs to meet the physical and emotional needs of children with orthopaedic conditions.
• Radiology: providing standard X-ray service as well as EOS imaging, which provides 3-D, full-body imaging with up to 85% lower radiation.
• Rehabilitation: providing physical and occupational therapy to help children build skills, strength and mobility needed for everyday activities.
  • Scoliosis specific exercise: a specialized physical therapy program that uses exercises, stretching and breathing to improve a patient’s scoliotic posture.
• Orthotics and prosthetics: offering orthotic and prosthetic services specifically for children, including upper and lower extremity prosthetic care, scoliosis bracing and a broad spectrum of pediatric orthotic services.
• Telehealth: including telehealth capabilities that enable video connection to other remote sites across the region, creating more opportunities for access to children in need of pediatric orthopaedic services. This capability enhances Shriners Hospitals for Children’s reputation as the largest network of specialized pediatric orthopaedic and burn telehealth sites in the world.
• Surgery services: All surgeries will be performed by Shriners Healthcare for Children — Twin Cities physicians at Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare in St. Paul, Minnesota, or other pediatric hospitals.

“Our health care system has been improving the lives of the children for nearly 100 years,” said Charlie Lobeck, hospital administrator for Shriners Healthcare for Children — Twin Cities. “This agreement will allow us to strengthen our position and commitment to the children and families of this region, as we prepare for our second hundred years of caring for kids.”

Additional information about the University of Minnesota's plan for the building.

Original source can be found here.