A sketch of the new hogs house units that will serve immunocompromised patients | johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital

Thousands of families across the nation travel to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg seeking specialized pediatric medical care from physicians who perform complex surgeries and procedures for critically ill patients suffering from cancer, heart conditions, and other complications.

As a comprehensive pediatric and subspecialty institute, the health system also attracts highly immunocompromised patients who require close monitoring even after discharge.

The renovated housing will be located at 460 8th Avenue South | St. Pete Rising

Thanks to a new $1 million donation from the nonprofit Hogs for the Cause, Johns Hopkins will convert the on-campus Rada Apartments at 460 8th Avenue South—which currently house visiting physicians—into four vibrant housing units for patients requiring extended hospital care and their families.

Hogs for the Cause began as a pig roast among friends in 2009, aiming to raise money for a young boy with pediatric brain cancer.

Since then, it has grown into one of the country’s most popular barbecue competitions and music festivals. Proceeds from the festival support hospital programs and patient housing at children’s hospitals.

“A friend of the organization's founder moved to Tampa Bay and told him about our hospital,” Jenine Rabin, Executive Vice President of the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Foundation, told St. Pete Rising during a tour of the apartments. “The Hogs for the Cause team visited the hospital and specifically wanted to look at our patient family housing because that's related to some projects they supported in New Orleans”

the rada apartments on the hospital campus that will be converted into patient housing | st. pete rising

The introduction took place exactly one year ago. Hogs Houses in other cities remain full year-round, and the nonprofit covers all operating and maintenance costs.

“This shows the power of the track we are on. We are the number one children’s hospital in the state and our vision is to be the number one pediatric academic hospital in the Southeast U.S. For a Southeast organization to recognize us in this way is very reaffirming,” Rabin said.

The hospital estimates that $1 million in repairs and renovations will be needed to accommodate immunocompromised patients—individuals with severely weakened immune systems due to certain treatments—who are far more vulnerable to infections than healthy people.

“This is a momentous gift for Hogs as we have now made life-changing gifts across the entire Gulf South,” Zandy Rainold, Chief Financial Officer for Hogs for the Cause, said in an announcement. “With this commitment, Hogs has committed over $12.5 million in grants in just sixteen years, and we are just getting started.”

A site plan of the children’s wellness center next to hogs house | Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital

The renovated rooms will include specialized air filtration systems, sealed doors, specific cleaning procedures, and other precautions to reduce the risk of bacterial exposure that could endanger patient health.

“We want to make sure we have the right kind of space and facilities for families of the immunocompromised to have extended stays with us,” Rabin said.

Each apartment will feature an open-style kitchen with a dining area, a living room, an ADA-compliant restroom, and a bedroom. Units will also have access to a second shared bedroom, providing flexibility based on each family’s needs. The project will include a total of six bedrooms with 12 beds.

Additionally, the funding will support a children’s wellness garden adjacent to Hogs House, featuring an overhead canopy, interactive nature elements, and a playful path.

A $1 million check presented to the hospital from hogs for the cause | Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital/Hogs for the cause

“This project will be an addition to the Ronald McDonald Houses we have on campus,” Rabin said.

The Ronald McDonald Houses operate three facilities on campus, offering 66 beds (one bedroom per family, with up to four people per room) for families of critical care patients who need extended stays at the hospital.

“We take care of the sickest kids in the state and always have to evaluate the different growing needs. We can only get projects like this across the finish line with donors,” Rabin said.

In collaboration with Tampa-based CPL Architecture Engineering and Planning, renovations to the Rada Apartments are expected to begin later this year.

The Johns Hopkins team is currently developing the eligibility process for patients requesting to stay in the new apartments.

Active construction for an emergency center and surgical suite expansion on the st. pete campus | st. pete rising

Simultaneously, Johns Hopkins is undertaking several major capital projects, including a $62 million expansion of its Emergency Center and second-floor surgical suite on the St. Pete campus.

The Emergency Center expansion will be the hospital’s largest since the opening of its Research and Education Building in 2018.

Johns Hopkins is also constructing a new pediatric care campus in Pasco County, scheduled to open in 2027.