Starship Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Starship Children's Health |
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Southern entrance of the hospital.
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| Geography | |
| Location | Auckland City, Auckland Region, New Zealand |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | Auckland District Health Board |
| Hospital type | Teaching, specialist |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | Yes |
| Beds | 219 |
| History | |
| Founded | 18 November 1991 |
Starship Children's Hospital is a special hospital just for kids and teens in Auckland, New Zealand. It opened on November 18, 1991. Starship was one of the first hospitals built specifically for children in New Zealand. It is also the biggest children's hospital in the country.
Even though it's a separate building, Starship is located right next to Auckland City Hospital. It's also very close to the Auckland Medical School. This means doctors and nurses can easily work together.
Since July 1, 2022, Starship became part of Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand. This is New Zealand's main health organization.
More than 140,000 patients visit Starship Children's Health every year. This includes about 1,000 special clinics where Starship doctors help other doctors around New Zealand.
What's Inside Starship?
Cool Design
The main Starship building opened its doors on November 18, 1991. It was built on the same land as Auckland City Hospital. The name "Starship" was chosen to sound fun and exciting for kids and teens. It also matches the building's unique look.
The hospital has a big open space in the middle called an atrium. Natural light shines in, and it's designed to look like a rainforest. There's even a playground inside! Each of the five floors is painted a different color. These colors have special meanings:
- Aqua: Represents the Pacific Ocean.
- Orange: Stands for the land.
- Blue: Means the sky.
- Yellow: Symbolizes sunshine.
- Pink: Represents good health.
The architects, Stephenson & Turner, designed the building to fit on a small, sloped area. The rooms curve around the central atrium. This design helps avoid long, boring hallways. It also makes it easier for staff and patients to get around.
Medical Care
Starship offers many types of medical care. This includes services for patients who stay overnight and those who just visit for appointments. They also have services that help children in their own communities. These include the Community Child Health and Disability Service, Safekids, and Paediatric Home Care.
The main building has nine different wards, which are like special sections for patients. It can care for up to 219 patients at a time. Besides the main hospital, Starship has clinics in other parts of Auckland. These are in Tamaki, West Auckland, and North Shore. Starship also works with about 45 "Outreach Clinics" all over New Zealand. These clinics allow Starship doctors to help patients in other towns.
Starship Hospital is the main place for children in the Auckland area who have serious injuries. It's also the top hospital for children with very serious injuries in Northland, Auckland, and parts of the Waikato region.
The Green Lane Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Service is based at Starship. This team helps children and adults across the country who have heart problems they were born with.
Other Services
A group of volunteers called Radio Lollipop runs a hospital radio station. They also visit children in the evenings with games and fun activities.
The hospital also has places to buy food and a small shop for convenience.
