How it Began:
At the request of Congress, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) convened an external advisory committee to conduct an in-depth review of NIH's intramural science research program. That committee strongly endorses the research program and recommends the immediate revitalization of the Clinical Center through construction of a new 242-bed hospital, followed by the phased renovation of the existing Clinical Center.

The Purpose:
A new hospital was deemed necessary to replace the aging original facility, whose infrastructure was no longer adequate for cutting-edge research and patient care. The Clinical Research Center will continue to promote translational research (transforming laboratory research into applications that benefit of patient health and medical care). The proximity of labs, equipment, and patient care units in the new CRC will help to rapidly move biomedical laboratory findings into the mainstream of medical practice — carrying on the "bench-to-bedside" tradition of the original NIH Clinical Center.

Congressional Authorization: Congress authorized the design of the new hospital in 1996 and the actual construction in 1997.

Named in Honor of: Former Senator Mark O. Hatfield of Oregon, who supported medical research throughout his Congressional career.

Size:

• 870,000 gross square feet

• 620,000 gross square feet of hospital space

• 250,000 gross square feet of laboratory and vivarium space

Number of Inpatient Beds: 242

Number of Outpatient Day Hospitals: 90

Height: Seven stories high

Groundbreaking Date: November 1997

Construction Began: January 1999

Construction Completion: August 2004

Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony: September 22, 2004