Children’s Wisconsin opens new Skywalk Building

The new building offers easier access to emergency care and expanded services

The new Skywalk Building is now open at the Children’s Wisconsin Milwaukee Hospital, featuring a new Emergency Department and Level I Trauma Center (EDTC), pediatric and neonatal transport team, and Skywalk retail pharmacy. The two-story building is located prominently on West Connell Court, near the Craig Yabuki Tower.

The Skywalk Building, funded in part by Ladish Co. Foundation and the Jendusa family, was designed to improve and expand family access to emergency services by relocating the emergency entrance to the front of the Children’s Wisconsin Milwaukee Hospital, and expand the services available for patients and families. The building features: 

• 50 treatment rooms, including two rooms designed to better support mental and behavioral health needs, and two advanced trauma and resuscitation rooms. 
• The Skywalk Pharmacy offers retail pharmaceutical services, which includes a “meds-to-beds” program for patients discharged from the hospital, specialized medication compounding and home delivery. 
• Additional space that supports advanced imaging capabilities, which means the EDTC team will have access to CT, x-ray and ultrasound directly in the new space.
• The Transport Team, which provides specialized transport services for children and babies via ambulance, helicopter and fixed-wing airplane.

“The new Skywalk Building supports Children’s Wisconsin’s mission to make a positive and lasting impact on the health and well-being of our patients and their families,” said Amy Drendel, DO, interim section chief, pediatric emergency medicine, Children’s Wisconsin. “With this new, advanced EDTC facility, we can better provide the safest, highest-quality and most equitable care and services.”

The expansion was originally announced in 2018. At that time, Children's Wisconsin kicked off a multi-year, $385 million facilities improvement project that supports the vision of having Wisconsin children be the healthiest in the nation. Children’s Wisconsin planned and budgeted for the capital improvements, including through the issuance of bond financing. Philanthropic support has influenced programs, services and amenities available in the new spaces. The project received $5 million in donations, with the Ladish Co. Foundation contributing $4 million and the Jendusa family donating $1 million. Portions of each gift helped include two rooms designed to better support mental and behavioral health needs. This special unit will be supported by the mental and behavioral health crisis team, which was established in 2021 thanks to a $2.5 million donation from the United Health Foundation.

Children's Wisconsin Media Relations

Children's Wisconsin specialty care providers have advanced training and expertise in many areas of pediatric medical care, including allergies, dental, dermatology, emergency medicine, ENT, gastroenterology, neonatology, pulmonology, surgery and more.