Project Overview
The Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Pritzker Department Inpatient Psychiatric Unit (IPU) Expansion was developed to address a critical gap in Illinois' behavioral health continuum by creating a specialized inpatient treatment environment for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, and complex behavioral health needs.
Completed in December 2025, the project expands Lurie Children's inpatient psychiatric program with four new beds and a purpose-built care setting designed specifically for patients who have historically faced limited access to appropriate psychiatric services. Supported by a $4.5 million capital investment from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), the expansion strengthens access to behavioral health care for some of the state's most vulnerable youth.
Key Takeaways
- Four new inpatient psychiatric beds dedicated to children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, and complex behavioral health conditions
- Renovation and transformation of existing eighth-floor outpatient behavioral health space into a specialized inpatient/outpatient behavioral health unit
- Dedicated sensory gym, sensory room, respite spaces, specialized patient rooms, and communal treatment areas
- Sound-dampening materials, soft flooring, and safety-focused design elements tailored to patients with sensory-processing and behavioral health challenges
- Multidisciplinary care environment supporting psychiatry, applied behavior analysis (ABA), occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, nursing, and social work services
- Completion Date
December 2025
- Delivery Method
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Construction Manager at Risk
- Additional Project Facts
Designed Around Patient Needs
Constructed within an active pediatric hospital environment, the project required careful planning and coordination to maintain uninterrupted operations while delivering a highly specialized treatment setting. Every aspect of the space was designed to balance patient safety, therapeutic care, and operational efficiency.
The unit incorporates sensory-supportive features that promote emotional regulation, engagement, and healing. Dedicated therapeutic environments support movement-based activities, sensory exploration, communication development, and behavioral interventions while meeting stringent behavioral health and life-safety requirements.
Supporting Collaborative Care
A primary goal of the expansion was to create an environment that enables multidisciplinary treatment within a coordinated model of care. The new unit brings together specialists across psychiatry, behavioral health, rehabilitation therapies, nursing, and social work to provide comprehensive, patient-centered treatment.
Purpose-built clinical and therapeutic spaces foster collaboration among care teams while supporting the individualized needs of children with complex developmental and behavioral health conditions.
Creating a New Model for Care
Beyond increasing inpatient capacity, the Pritzker Department IPU Expansion establishes a new care model for patients whose needs often exceed the capabilities of traditional psychiatric settings. By providing specialized treatment environments and integrated clinical services, the project helps reduce prolonged emergency department stays, improve access to appropriate behavioral health resources, and support better outcomes for children and families across Illinois.
As one of the first programs of its kind in the state, the expansion serves as a framework for future pediatric behavioral health facilities and demonstrates how thoughtful healthcare design can advance both patient care and community impact.