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Yesterday marked a big day for Stanford and the local community: Ground was broken for the newÌý. As Ruth SchechterÌýreportsÌýin our online story:

"Scheduled to open to patients in 2018, the new building will optimize the hospital's services and infrastructure, adding more beds, private rooms, state-of-the-art operating suites, expanded emergency services and the flexibility the hospital needs to adapt to advancing technologies and more streamlined services.

The new 824,000-square-foot hospital will increase patient capacity to 600 beds and feature 368 individual patient rooms, an enlarged level-1 trauma center and an emergency department nearly three times the size of the current capacity. Designed by the internationally recognized firm Rafael Viñoly Architects, the project will feature amenities intended to enhance both physical and emotional healing with the latest in medical, surgical and diagnostic technology. The new building will be connected to the current hospital by a bridge and tunnel.

The new hospital will feature individual patient rooms centered on health and well-being, with expansive windows that provide natural light and integrated accommodations for family members to visit and spend the night. Patient rooms will be modular, allowing them to accommodate any level of acuity. A roof garden setting will create a quiet retreat for patients and families, and landscaping will feature native and drought-tolerant plants. The building also incorporates the latest innovations in green technology to reduce the hospital's environmental impact."

About 400 community members, donors, and administrators,Ìýincluding Amir Dan Rubin, the hospital’s president and CEO, andÌýLloyd Minor,ÌýMD, dean of the School of Medicine,Ìýwere on hand late yesterday toÌýwatch as "shiny red shovels were put to ceremonial dirt."

Originally published on byÌý