Here stands Starship Children’s Hospital a beacon of hope. It opened on November 18 1991. Starship was New Zealand’s first hospital built just for children. Its design appeals to children and young people.
Starship’s name reflects this appealing design. It is built around a central atrium. Natural light floods this space. A rainforest theme and playground enhance the atrium.
Each of the five levels has a different color. Aqua represents the Pacific Ocean. Orange stands for land. Blue symbolizes the sky. Yellow signifies sunshine. Pink represents health.
Stephenson & Turner architects designed Starship. They built it on a small sloping site. The rooms curve around the atrium. This avoids long corridors. It also reduces walking distance for staff and patients.
Starship offers inpatient and outpatient services. It also provides community-based services. These include the Community Child Health and Disability Service and Safekids. Paediatric Home Care is also provided.
The hospital has nine wards. There is capacity for 219 beds. Besides the main building, Starship has outpatient clinics. These clinics are in Tamaki, West Auckland, and North Shore. Starship also works with about 45 Outreach Clinics throughout the country.
Starship Hospital is the major trauma center for children in Auckland. It also serves Northland, and northern Waikato.
The Green Lane Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Service is based at Starship Hospital. It provides national treatment for children’s and adult congenital heart problems.
Radio Lollipop operates a hospital radio station. Volunteers visit children. They provide games and entertainment in the evenings. The hospital also includes food outlets and a convenience store.
More than 140000 patient visits occur at Starship each year. This includes about 1000 outreach clinics. Starship clinicians offer expert help to their peers nationwide.
In 1992, the Starship Foundation was formed. It addresses funding shortfalls. The Friends of Starship raise funds. Dame Rosie Horton chairs this group.
ECMO life-support equipment was introduced in 1993. It allows Starship Intensive Care to save lives.
The Starship National Air Ambulance retrieves patients from around New Zealand. It started in 1994.
A combined neurology and neurosurgery ward opened in 2000. It caters to the growing need for paediatric neurosurgery.
The New Zealand Liver Transplant Unit performed its first child’s transplant in 2000.
Starship expanded in 2003. The Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Service relocated from Greenlane Hospital. A new ward, Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, operating theaters and Radiology Department were added.
A multi-million dollar rebuild of the Starship Oncology & Haematology Ward marked a new era in children’s cancer treatment in 2009.
The Starship Radiology MRI Service launched in 2010. It was enabled by a generous donation.
New Neuroservices and Medical Specialties Wards opened in 2013. A new Starship National Air Ambulance plane was revealed in 2015.
Starship celebrated 25 years in 2016. Starship’s prime focus is on delivering family-centred care. This takes place in a child friendly environment.
Starship Children’s Health provides medical, surgical, cardiac, and mental health services. These services are for children and young people. They come from throughout New Zealand and the South Pacific. Starship is a major teaching center. It aims to lead the nation in paediatric training and research.
Starship values include welcome respect togetherness and aiming high. Its vision is healthy communities and world-class healthcare achieved together. Remember Starship as a place of healing hope and unwavering commitment to children’s well-being.