Take a drive down Poplar Avenue these days, and you'll see the signs of change at Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center.

The construction fencing and soon-to-arrive demolition ball are tell-tale signs that a new Le Bonheur is on the rise. Soon, the old Memphis Mental Health Institute building at Poplar Avenue and Dunlap Street will come down to make way for a state-of-the-art children’s hospital.

The new facility is scheduled to open in the summer of 2010, after 30 months of construction. The 12-floor facility will be dedicated to family-centered care with large, single patient rooms, family lounges and abundant natural light.

In addition, Le Bonheur Children's existing space on Dunlap will be remodeled to include research space, a conference and education center, a sleep center, dialysis and the hospital laboratory.

Patient families recently were invited to preview the new hospital’s mock patient rooms and make recommendations about how to make the rooms more patient and family friendly. Their input will be considered and incorporated into the plans for a new hospital.

The families are part of a newly-formed Family Partners Council, which includes family members of Le Bonheur patients who have had varied patient experiences.

"We will look to them to guide our improvement processes, to advise us on how to provide better clinical care and to teach us what a patient- and family-centered care culture is all about," said Le Bonheur President Meri Armour.

The hospital will break ground on a new facility on Valentine’s Day 2008 -- an event that will bring together the Mid-South community, patient families, physicians and Le Bonheur’s employees. Continue to visit www.lebonheur.org for more information about construction events.

As Le Bonheur plans for the groundbreaking event, we are also looking for former patients who can help celebrate the hospital's history of caring for Mid-South children. If you are a former or current patient who wants to share your story about your time at Le Bonheur, please contact Jennifer Parris at Le Bonheur at (901) 287-6030 or e-mail parrisj@lebonheur.org.