UTMB President David L. Callender held a demolition ceremony — complete with detonator, confetti and hot dogs — for UTMB employees that marked the first step toward construction of the new Jennie Sealy Hospital .
In attendance were Texas State Representatives Craig Eiland and Larry Taylor, Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski, The Sealy & Smith Foundation President John Kelso and George Sealy, among others.
The $438 million hospital will feature nearly 250 family-centered patient rooms, state-of-the-art surgical suites and intensive care space, and areas for visiting and consultations with caregivers. The facility will complement the existing John Sealy Hospital, which currently is being renovated and modernized. The Sealy & Smith Foundation pledged $170 million toward the project.