Florida Construction News staff writer
Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH) and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital have announced plans for a major expansion at the NCH North Hospital campus that will include construction of a four-storey women and children’s pavilion valued at more than $350 million.
The expansion is being supported by a lead philanthropic gift from the Bill and Julia Van Domelen Foundation and will establish the Van Domelen Pavilion for Women and Children, along with the Van Domelen Institute for Women and Children, which will serve as the clinical and operational framework for services.
The planned pavilion will total approximately 156,000 square feet and will be constructed above the existing emergency departments at NCH North Hospital in Naples. The facility will include labor and delivery suites, operating rooms, maternal-fetal medicine services, women’s health programs, and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit. Plans also call for a rooftop helipad to support emergency transport.
NCH and Nicklaus Children’s said the project is intended to expand capacity for pediatric and women’s health services in Collier County, where population growth has increased demand for care. The county is home to more than 65,000 children, with pediatric population growth projected to continue over the next five years. NCH currently delivers nearly 3,700 babies annually and operates Collier County’s only pediatric emergency department.
Project leaders said approximately 80 percent of the project’s funding must be raised through philanthropy before construction can begin. A construction start date and delivery schedule have not yet been announced.
In addition to the new building, the Van Domelen Institute for Women and Children will coordinate outpatient and hospital-based services across Southwest Florida, including prenatal and postpartum care, maternal-fetal medicine, pediatric subspecialty care, and long-term disease management. While the institute represents a reorganization of existing programs, the pavilion will serve as its central hub once completed.
The expansion is expected to support reduced patient transfers outside the region and consolidate specialty care on the Naples campus. Project details regarding contractors, designers, and permitting have not yet been released.
NCH is a nonprofit health system serving Southwest Florida, while Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is based in Miami and provides pediatric specialty care across the state.
