Children's Medical Center Dallas

Children's Medical Center Dallas is the main hospital campus of Children's Health, the only academic healthcare system in Dallas-Fort Worth dedicated solely to the comprehensive care of children from birth to age 18. Its mission as a private, not-for-profit, pediatric hospital system is “to make life better for children.” ^[1]

Children's Health started with just the Dallas location, but has grown to include Children's Medical Center Plano as well as several other specialty and pedicatric care centers located throughout North Texas. The hospital system's connection to a nearby medical school in the region, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, drives innovations and excellence in care.

Children's Medical Center Dallas is the fifth largest pediatric hospital in the country.^[2] It offers expertise in more than 50 pediatric specialties and the highest level of trauma care in North Texas as a Level 1 Trauma Center. Children's Medical Center Dallas provides care ranging from neonatal critical care to sports medicine, from trauma to eating disorders. The system offers highly specialized, nationally recognized care for illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and blood disorders, and cystic fibrosis.

History

Children's Medical Center Dallas traces its origins to the summer of 1913, when a group of nurses organized an open-air clinic on the lawn of the old Parkland Hospital in Dallas. The nurses recognized that children received better care when it was focused only on them. In 1930, the Dallas Baby Camp grew into the Bradford Hospital for Babies, which merged with Children's Hospital of Texas and Richmond Freeman Memorial Clinic in 1948 to form what is now known as Children's Medical Center of Dallas. Children's Medical Center affiliated with UT Southwestern Medical Center in 1964. In 2014, Children's Medical Center expanded into Children's Health, a system dedicated to providing all types of care for children, as well as public education about health and wellness, across its several hospitals, specialty centers, and pediatric clinics throughout North Texas. ^[3]

Location and Features

Located at 1935 Medical District Drive in the heart of Dallas, Children's Medical Center Dallas is licensed for 490 beds and recorded more than 450,000 patient encounters in 2014. The hospital features 16 large, technologically advanced operating rooms.

The campus offers families and visitors several amenities, including the tranquil Haggerty Chapel, a cafeteria with multiple dining options, family resource libraries, White Rock Coffee shop, ATMs and a full-service gift shop. Services such as child life, guest relations, pastoral care and social work help families address the unique concerns that come with having a hospitalized child. The Dallas Specialty Center, located across the street from the main hospital, provides young patients with easy access to an array of specialty outpatient services in one convenient location. ^[4]

Rankings and Recognition

• Named to U.S. News & World Report's list of the top pediatric hospitals in the country in the 2014-2015 "Best Children's Hospitals" survey. Children's Medical Center Dallas is ranked in nine of ten total specialties:
  • #35 in cancer
  • #17 in cardiology
  • #17 in diabetes and endocrinology
  • #16 in gastroenterology and GI surgery
  • #28 in neonatology
  • #12 in nephrology
  • #36 in neurology and neurosurgery
  • #6 in orthopedics
  • #33 in urology

• The only pediatric hospital in the country with nine disease-specific care certifications from the Joint Commission for conditions including asthma, autism, and diabetes.^[5]
• Has maintained the prestigious Magnet designation for nursing excellence, received by fewer than 7% of hospitals, since 2009.^[6]
• Named to Hospitals & Health Networks Most Wired list for nine out of the last 11 years, recognizing Information Technology adoption.
• Received the Neonatal and Pediatric Transport Award of Excellence for contributions to the overall enhancement, development, leadership, and promotion of neonatal/pediatric care, research, education, or safety in the medical transport setting.

Facts

• The first pediatric hospital in the nation accredited in all three modes of transportation: ground ambulance, helicopter, and jet.^[7]
• Houses the largest heart center for children in Dallas-Fort Worth.
• Developed the nation's first day surgery program for children.
• Houses the only pediatric-specific sleep center in Dallas accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
• Has Texas' largest intensive care unit dedicated to the care of children.
• Has the first pediatric-designated Level 1 trauma center in Texas.
• Has the oldest comprehensive cancer survivor program in Dallas-Fort Worth.
• Houses one of the largest centers for cystic fibrosis in Dallas-Fort Worth and is accredited as a “Center of Excellence” by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
• The principal clinical site for the Southwestern Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center and the recipient of a multimillion-dollar, five-year grant to develop treatments and a cure.
• Has an active extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program for children with cardiac and cardiopulmonary diseases. Since 2010 has been recognized as a "Center of Excellence" by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO).

References

1. ↑ https://www.childrens.com/footer/aboutsection/about/mission-and-values
2. ↑ http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/150-great-places-to-work-in-healthcare-2015/childrens-health-system-texas-15.html
3. ↑ https://www.childrens.com/footer/aboutsection/about/history
4. ↑ https://www.childrens.com/location-landing/locations-and-directions/childrens-health-dallas
5. ↑ 2014 Children's Health Information
6. ↑ http://www.nursecredentialing.org/Magnet/FindaMagnetFacility
7. ↑ 2014 Children's Health Information

External links

Coordinates: 32°48′34″N 96°50′11″W / 32.8094°N 96.8365°W / 32.8094; -96.8365