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St. Luke's employees leave their "mark" on Children's Pavilion beam

St. Luke's employees leave their "mark" on beam
St. Luke's employees leave their "mark" on beam
St. Luke's employees leave their "mark" on beam
Posted at 12:18 PM, May 15, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-15 14:18:54-04

Hundreds of St. Luke’s employees are leaving their “permanent mark” this week on the new Idaho Elks Children's Pavilion under construction across from the downtown Boise hospital.

A steel beam nicknamed “Jenny” was moved from Twin Falls last week, and placed in the Bannock Pedestrian Plaza just outside the hospital's main entrance. “Between now and Friday, St. Luke’s employees will be stopping by to pick up a sharpie, leave a short message, and sign their names to be a permanent part of the project,” said St. Luke’s Public Relations Manager Anita Kissee.

The signatory beam is about 20 feet long, and weighs some 300 pounds. Once full, it will eventually be raised to the very highest point of the Children's Pavilion. Its final location is at roof level, on the east stair tower. The beam will be put in place sometime later this summer. 

The four-story, 100,000 square foot Children's Pavilion will connect directly to Idaho's only Children's Hospital via a skybridge. “Not only will it double clinical space for St. Luke's Children's Hospital, but also improve vital services by uniting most of the area's pediatric specialists under one roof,” Kissee said. “That allows for more efficient care, and greater ease for parents and children with complex medical needs. Instead of multiple stops to various doctors spread out around town, patients will instead be able to see experts in one kid-friendly location in one day.”

In addition to doctors' offices, the Children's Pavilion will include a Family Resource Center that allows parents to stay connected and get information needed to care for their children, a Sibling Clubhouse to keep brothers and sisters entertained during long appointments, and the demonstration kitchen where families can learn to cook for children with special dietary needs. 

The $42 million facility is scheduled to open in 2019, and was built thanks to community support of some $22 million in donations.