What Makes Philadelphia\'s Children\'s Hospital Unique

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is located near the University of Pennsylvania and is the first hospital in the U.S. to be solely dedicated to providing health care specifically for children. Over the years, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has been ranked among the top specialty hospitals in America. It has more than 500 beds, and nearly half of them are reserved for neonatal care, cardiac care and pediatric intensive care. Every year, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia admits nearly 30,000 children as inpatients and sees more than 1 million children in the ER and outpatient wards (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Annual Report, 2016).
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has played an important role in the community of Philadelphia since its inception in 1855. There were almost half a million people in Philadelphia at the time. Diseases like typhoid, small pox and scarlet fever were very dangerous and in one month in 1855, hundreds of children died from these diseases. One doctor decided there and then to establish the country’s very first hospital solely for children. His name was Dr. Francis West Lewis and he had the idea for a hospital like this because he had been to England and seen London’s Children’s Hospital. He decided to do the same in his city and he attracted some of his fellow doctors to help get the facility going (Bell, 2015). The first hospital had 12 beds and in its first year, it saw hundreds of patients. The second hospital was erected a decade later following the end of the Civil War. It tripled the number of beds of the first hospital and expanded its services. By the end of the century, it had nearly 100 beds and a nursing school to boot (“About the History of Children’s Hospital,” 2017).
The third hospital was erected in 1916 and lasted for nearly sixty years. This time, the hospital joined with the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. The hospital developed a vaccine for whooping cough, implemented incubator usage for newborn babies, and established the country’s first neonatal ICU (“About the History of Children’s Hosptial,” 2017).
In the 1974, the new and current Children’s Hospital was erected right alongside the University of Pennsylvania. It had a helicopter transport that was used to move children who were in need of rapid transportation to the hospital. Over the years, the Children’s Hospital has intensified its focus on saving lives and advancing research into providing quality health care for children. Its research has included developing new techniques for treating congenital heart disease, vaccinations, ventilator care and much more (“About the History of Children’s Hospital,” 2017).
What sets Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia apart from other children’s hospitals in the U.S. is its deep and rich connection to the University of Pennsylvania and their mutual work together towards advancing research, technique, medicine, care, and safety. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is at the forefront of child health care because of its extensive history in the field, its alliance with the University’s School of Medicine, and the many doctors and nurses who practice there to help ensure that quality of care is among the highest in the country. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, is a fully-loaded leading light in the health care industry and its role in taking child health care to the next level generation after generation is seen in all of the many milestones it has achieved over time. These include:
· Establishing the first training program designed specifically for pediatric physicians
· Establishing the first neonatal surgery and pediatric ICU in the nation
· Establishing the first follow-up program for childhood cancer survivors
· Establishing the first clinic for treating children with speech defects
· Using the first balloon catheter in treating heart defects
· Developing the first vaccinations for whooping cough, mumps, rotavirus and influenza
· Establishing the first pediatric emergency medicine special training program in the nation (“About the History of Children’s Hospital,” 2017)
As a result of these many firsts and the great strides that the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has taken to help ensure that children are treated with the care they need, this hospital has stood out from all the others in the Philadelphia area and indeed the entire country. And, as U.S. News and World Report (2018) notes, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is as important today as it ever has been and is ranked #2 on the Best Children’s Honor Roll and is ranked in 10 pediatric specialties among the top hospitals in the nation.
Today the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia operates as a nonprofit hospital and that means it relies upon the generosity of people in order to continue its successful operations. Families, organizations, and foundations have contributed to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Foundation for many years. Most recently, the hospital raised over $100 million from donors (“About the History of Children’s Hospital,” 2017).
The hospital also has its own Research Institute and is among the largest pediatric research facilities in the country. It now owns the Children’s Seashore House, with provides rehabilitative services to children. And it has created the CHOP Care Network, which is the biggest pediatric health care network in the country and links dozens of pediatric offices, special care facilities, and surgery stations throughout the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
In conclusion, my opinion of the hospital is that it is a living piece of American history that is still playing a vital role in the development of pediatric care, research, and education. It trains doctors, provides a place for researchers to work and test theories, and serves as the go-to place for families who need medical care for children. It is one of the most trusted names in the industry and for that reason it has earned the support of many patrons over the years.
I would support the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and I would certainly count myself fortunate to be able to work or spend time there in training. For children who are in need of quality medical attention, it is the best place to go in all of Pennsylvania and one of the top children’s hospitals in the country. Just in terms of being at the fore of progressive developments in medicine, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has shown itself as a leader.
It has been behind the development of important vaccines that have helped save lives and contribute to the control of the spread of diseases that were devastating the city in the 19th century. By every measure it has helped to contribute to the community and advance the practice of medicine. It is a great example of what a hospital can be and what a community can produce if its members just rally together behind a great cause like having a hospital dedicated specifically to children. Thanks to the vision of Dr. Francis West Lewis, the people of Philadelphia and, indeed, of the whole United States have benefitted.

References
About the History of Children’s Hospital. (2017). CHOP. Retrieved from
http://www.chop.edu/about-us/about
Bell, M. (2015). The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Charleston, South Carolina:
Arcadia Publishing.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Annual Report. (2016). CHOP. Retrieved from
http://ar.chop.edu/