Dr. David Perlmutter, left, physician-in-chief and scientific director, leads a tour of the new 10-acre campus of the 900,000-square-foot Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and 300,000-square-foot John G. Rangos Research Center, right rear, in the Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGH — Opening in 1890 with just 15 beds, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh grew over the years into a large teaching hospital with more than 260 beds, a renowned children's transplantation program and an international reputation for research after Dr. Jonas Salk developed the polio vaccine in the 1950s.

Next year, the hospital takes another big step forward with a two-mile move from its old complex into a new $625 million medical campus under construction in the city's Lawrenceville neighborhood.

The new campus is the realization of a plan in 2001, just before the hospital merged with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Hospital leaders say the 10-acre campus — which includes a 900,000-square-foot hospital and 300,000-square-foot research center — is being built around putting families first, improving the quality of patient care, taking advantage of all the latest technology and enhancing research.

"The complexity of what goes on in a hospital is so extraordinary," and positive outcomes rely on doctors, staff and families working together, said Dr. David Perlmutter, the hospital's physician-in-chief and scientific director. "You can do it in an existing structure, but if you are going to build a new structure, you might as well build it to fit your needs."

For the new Children's, that means a 4-story glass atrium where patients and their families can watch movies, or step out onto an open rooftop deck with gardens and sweeping views of the city.

The hospital's private patient rooms will look like homey bedrooms, with wooden headboards, simulated wooden floors, trundle beds, private baths, reading lights and storage closets. Passthrough cabinets from the hallway into the rooms will enable staff to deliver meals and fresh linens without interrupting patients — and without the risk of spreading infection, hospital leaders say. Glass-enclosed blinds allow nurses to check on patients without entering the room and waking them up.

Parents wanting to take breaks or make cell phone calls can find rooms at the end of each hallway.

Windows at every turn bathe the hospital in natural light, highlighting bright colors inside.

On the third floor, bright colors painted on walls represent various specialties that are now spread out all over the current hospital. At the new hospital, they'll be in one place, with more interaction between specialists, to deal with the more than 400,000 ambulatory care visits to the hospital each year.

Patients and their families are greeted on the third floor by a bank of registration booths and 10,000 square feet of waiting space. They'll each be given pagers that resemble the lighted coasters given to restaurant patrons waiting for a seat; when the light blinks, it's your turn.

The hospital will be completely paperless, using technology to track everything from patient records to billing. Nurses will carry wireless devices with the latest patient information wherever they are in the hospital.

For the sickest patients, new intensive-care units include private rooms instead of the current wards that can house several patients of various ages, thus cutting down on the chance of infection and making the rooms quieter, said Eric Hess, the hospital's vice president and project executive.

The ninth floor will be dedicated to cancer care for both inpatients and outpatients — the first time Children's has had a cancer care center.

In all, the hospital campus is made up of six buildings, including a former assisted living facility that will be turned into the city's new Ronald McDonald House and also will include a day care and fitness center for hospital employees. There are three parking garages with 1,480 total spaces.

One building, the John G. Rangos Sr. Research Center, is set to open in October. The center, which is connected to the main hospital building via an enclosed glass walkway, has a conference center and 144,000 square feet of lab space.