Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU has opened 24 rooms on its 11th floor, bringing the hospital's total inpatient capacity to 235 beds. The added space is intended for children needing acute care and for those with chronic conditions or recovering from surgery or injuries.
The hospital marked the opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, according to WTVR. The rooms are designed to serve young patients with a range of care needs.
A former patient told the station that her hospital experience changed her outlook, saying she left “not wanting to leave.”
A Former Patient's Perspective
She said she hopes the new space will give more children and families the chance to receive similarly strong care, according to the station.
The 11th-floor rooms are part of a campus that has expanded in recent years. A 2023 report from the same outlet described the broader Children's Tower as a 72-room facility housing acute and pediatric intensive care services and a Level 1 trauma center. The tower also includes an indoor garden with large windows, playrooms and lounges for all ages, according to WTVR (CBS 6).
Other Pediatric Projects on Campus
The newly opened rooms follow a previously reported plan to expand pediatric acute-care capacity. In May 2025, Richmond BizSense reported that VCU Health planned 24 acute-care pediatric beds in shell space within the Children's Tower, with a target of making them available by December 2026.
A VCU Health update in December 2025 noted that construction had started the previous month on 24 additional acute-care beds on Level 11 of the Children's Tower, as reported by VCU Health.
National Trends in Pediatric Inpatient Care
The number of pediatric inpatient units has declined nationally: a Northwestern Medicine analysis of American Hospital Association survey data found a 30 percent drop from 2008 to 2022. The analysis covered reports from more than 4,800 U.S. medical-surgical hospitals and defined a pediatric unit as a hospital with any inpatient beds set up and staffed for pediatric care. The national finding does not establish local demand in Richmond.
