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. 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 70 patient beds. The hospital was named after the pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb after the company supported the hospital with monetary grants. 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 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 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 apart of the larger RWJUH ed renovation which lasted two years and cost $60 million.
About
The hospital features an AAP verified level 3 neonatal intensive care unit, one of the highest in New Jersey. The pediatric intensive care unit is the largest in the region and one of the most advanced in the state. The hospital also has a transport program with dedicated pediatric ambulances and helicopters to transport critically patients to and from the hospital.
Adolescent Unit - General Inpatient 14 Bed Unit For Ages 12–21
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit - Advanced Level III 37 Bed Unit For Neonates In Critical Condition
Pediatric Hematology-Oncology - Hematologic and Oncologic 10 Bed Unit For Ages 0–21
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit - Critically Ill Unit For Ages 0–21
Pediatric Unit - General Inpatient 24 Bed Unit For Ages 0–11
Regional Perinatal Center - Unit For High Risk Births
Magic Fountain
In front of the hospital is home to a sculpture called the Magic Fountain that was designed by local acclaimed artist J. Seward Johnson Jr. The fountain features metallic children playing in the fountain and splashing around.
Ronald Mcdonald House
Opened in May 2005, the Ronald Mcdonald House of New Brunswick is located two blocks away from the hospital. The goal is to house parents and families of pediatric patients aged 0–21 from the BMSCH, Children's Specialized Hospital, and the nearby St. Peter's University Hospital. The house provides places to sleep, meals, and entertainment to siblings and families for free.
Awards
In the 2012-13 U.S. News and World Report: Best Children's Hospital rankings The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital ranked nationally in 3 ranked specialties. They ranked #49 in pediatric orthopedics, #46 in pediatric pulmonology, and #35 in pediatric urology. The hospital has been named as a top children's hospital nationwide multiple times by different publications. In 2015, The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at RWJUH was named the world's first "Adolescent Center of Excellence for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery.” In 2018 the hospital was rated as the fifth best children's hospital in the New York area. As of 2020, The hospital ranked 39 nationally in the field of pediatric urology, by the U.S. News and World Report. BMSCH also ranked as the #2 children's hospital in New Jersey after Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital.
