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The newspaper of The Johns Hopkins University June 23, 2008 | Vol. 37 No. 38
 
Children's Tower to be Named for Charlotte Bloomberg

The state-of-the-art 12-story tower is now under construction on the East Baltimore campus.
Photo by Perkins + Will

Naming honors work ethic and values of N.Y. mayor's 99-year-old mother

The state-of-the-art 12-story tower being built to house the Johns Hopkins Children's Center will be named the Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children's Center at Johns Hopkins, in honor of the mother of New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, a Johns Hopkins graduate and former trustee.

The Children's Center, the pediatric hospital at Johns Hopkins and Maryland's largest children's hospital, will move in early 2011 to the tower now under construction at the corner of Wolfe and Orleans streets in East Baltimore.

Charlotte R. Bloomberg, 99, was born in Jersey City, N.J. She graduated from high school at 16 and is often credited by her son for his strong work ethic and belief in the importance of giving back. A New York University graduate, she married William Bloomberg and together they raised their two children, Michael and Marjorie, in Medford, Mass. Charlotte Bloomberg remains active in the cultural and civic life of Medford, where she still lives, and is especially devoted to her synagogue and her local Hadassah chapter.

Michael Bloomberg honored his mother on the occasion of her 75th birthday in 1983 by establishing the Charlotte R. Bloomberg Professorship in the Humanities in the university's Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.

"It's a rare privilege to be able to thank simultaneously two of the most important forces in my life: my mother and my alma mater," said Mayor Bloomberg. "As a son of Hopkins — and of Bloomberg — I couldn't be prouder that future generations of children will associate the unsurpassed care and comfort they'll receive at the center with a woman who provided those very same qualities to me."

Bloomberg, mayor of New York since 2002, is a 1964 engineering graduate of Johns Hopkins and a longtime supporter of the university and Johns Hopkins Medicine. He served as the chairman of the university's board of trustees from 1996 to 2002, overseeing the largest fund-raising campaign in the school's history. He also is the largest donor in the 132-year history of the Johns Hopkins Institutions. The public health school at the university was named the Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2001 to recognize his commitment and support.

"Michael Bloomberg has helped make Johns Hopkins University a better place for students, faculty and researchers," said William R. Brody, president of the university. "His generous support of the new children's hospital will impact the future of pediatric medicine by allowing us to provide the best patient care, to research the causes of and cures for childhood illness and to train the pediatricians of tomorrow."

Edward D. Miller, dean of the faculty of the School of Medicine and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine, said, "We are extremely pleased that Michael Bloomberg has once again extended his generosity to the university to include Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Children's Center. His commitment to public health is well-known, and now he will be recognized as well for supporting child health care."

The Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children's Center — now under construction along with a new adult cardiovascular and critical care facility — is part of one of the largest hospital construction projects in the country. The new building, designed as a healing environment to help alleviate stress on families and sick children, will have 205 private inpatient rooms with extensive accommodations to help families support their children throughout hospitalization. It will have expanded intensive care unit capabilities and an innovative neonatal intensive care design with private beds to enhance parent-child bonding and reduce infections. A 10-bed research unit will bring the latest in pediatric research to the bedside. Other features include 10 high-tech surgical suites, a dedicated pediatric radiology unit and telecommunications facilities for consultations.

In keeping with his commitment to public art, Mayor Bloomberg has initiated a unique cultural program for the new facility. The building will be enveloped by a distinctive composition of patterned clear glass and solid colored panels (26 colors in total) devised by artist Spencer Finch, working with building architects Perkins + Will. Finch is known for his interest in optics and perception, and his evocative use of light and color. He drew his inspiration for the hospital building from paintings by the Impressionist Claude Monet. The central role of art and artists will continue throughout the building's interiors.

Ronald R. Peterson, president of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Johns Hopkins Health System, said, "Johns Hopkins has played a leadership role in pediatrics for nearly 100 years. This magnificent gift will carry on that leadership position by providing a state-of-the-art hospital facility for the care of children."

"We are so grateful for the generosity of the Bloomberg family," said George Dover, director of Johns Hopkins Children's Center and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "We have made some amazing discoveries here in the past century that have advanced the practice of pediatric medicine, but the Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children's Center will take us to the next level in providing exceptional care for our young patients."

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