The University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital (UC CCH) formerly University of Chicago Children's Hospital is a nationally ranked, freestanding, 172-bed, pediatric acute care
children's hospital
A children's hospital is a hospital that offers its services exclusively to infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In certain special cases, they may also treat adults. The number of children's hospitals proliferated in the 20th ...
adjacent to
University of Chicago Medical Center
The University of Chicago Medical Center (UChicago Medicine) is a nationally ranked academic medical center located in Hyde Park on the South Side of Chicago. It is the flagship campus for The University of Chicago Medicine system and was establis ...
. It is affiliated with the
University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
The Pritzker School of Medicine is the M.D.-granting unit of the Biological Sciences Division of the University of Chicago. It is located on the university's main campus in the historic Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago and matriculated its f ...
and is a member of the UChicago health system, the only children's hospital in the system. The hospital provides comprehensive pediatric specialties and subspecialties to infants, children, teens, and young adults aged 0–21 throughout Chicago and features an
ACS verified
level I pediatric trauma center. Its regional
pediatric
Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until the ...
intensive-care unit
220px, Intensive care unit
An intensive care unit (ICU), also known as an intensive therapy unit or intensive treatment unit (ITU) or critical care unit (CCU), is a special department of a hospital or health care facility that provides intensiv ...
and
neonatal intensive care units serve the Chicago region.
History
Pediatrics at the University of Chicago dated back to 1927 when the university opened up the Home for Destitute and Crippled Children. In 1938 the university combined their pediatric and maternity hospitals into one facility. In 1967, the University of Chicago Medicine's Wyler Children's Hospital opened in a wing of the adult hospital. The hospital had a capacity of 140 beds and 95,000 square feet. Wyler was located one block south of the new Comer Children's Hospital.
The hospital began construction in 2001 and was funded in part from a $21 million donation by
Gary and Frances Comer. The plan included 240,000 square feet and 7 floors. The new design included features requested by the patients and families from included larger windows and expanded parent sleeping areas and was designed by
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
based Stanley Beaman & Sears. In total, Comer was built at a cost of $68 million.
In August 2010, protests erupted outside of the hospital over the death of Damian Turner, an 18-year-old boy who was killed by gunshot. At the time the only trauma center on campus was Comer Children's, treating trauma patients up to age 15. Hospital administrators committed to building a new adult trauma center and expanded the age limit for Comer's trauma center to age 18.
In 2010 a lawsuit was filed against Comer Children's for treating more babies in their neonatal intensive care unit than they were licensed to. They were fined $5 million as a result of the lawsuit. In 2013 members of the Stephen family donated $10 million to the
NICU
A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), also known as an intensive care nursery (ICN), is an intensive care unit (ICU) specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn infants. Neonatal refers to the first 28 days of life. Neonatal care, as kn ...
for expansion. It was renamed to the Margaret M. and George A. Stephen Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to honor the donation.
In 2015, after the many protests over the death of Damian Turner, The University of Chicago Medicine announced it will build a Level 1 adult trauma center on its Hyde Park campus.
In 2019 the hospital announced a partnership with
Advocate Children's Hospital and
NorthShore University HealthSystem
NorthShore University HealthSystem (formerly Evanston Northwestern Healthcare or ENH) is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving patients throughout the Chicago metropolitan area.
NorthShore encompasses six hospitals, as of late 2021 — ...
's pediatric division to help provide better pediatric care for children. The alliance is opening a joint 35,000-square-foot outpatient pediatric center in
Wilmette
Wilmette is a village in New Trier Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. Bordering Lake Michigan and Evanston, Illinois, it is located north of Chicago's downtown district. Wilmette had a population of 27,087 at the 2010 census. The ...
. The alliance allows these smaller hospitals to compete with the nationally ranked
Lurie Children's Hospital
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, formerly Children's Memorial Hospital and commonly known as Lurie Children's, is a nationally ranked pediatric acute care children's hospital located in Chicago, Illinois. The hospital has 3 ...
.
About
Patient care units
Comer Children's Hospital features one of the only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Centers in Chicago and the region. The hospital features an American Academy of Pediatrics verified Level IV NICU.
The hospital has multiple patient care units to care for a variety of pediatric patients from age 0-21.
* 28-bed
pediatric emergency department
* 47-bed
neonatal intensive care unit
A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), also known as an intensive care nursery (ICN), is an intensive care unit (ICU) specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn infants. Neonatal refers to the first 28 days of life. Neonatal care, as kn ...
* 10-bed immediate care unit
* 20-bed pediatric intensive care unit
* 18-bed transitional care unit
* 31-bed pediatric medical/surgical
* 29-bed
hematology/oncology
In addition to patient care beds, the hospital has five operating rooms and a dedicated pediatric emergency department.
Ronald McDonald House
About four blocks away from Comer Children's Hospital is a
Ronald McDonald House
Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is an independent American nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to create, find, and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children.
RMHC has a global network of c ...
, one of many in the Chicago region. The house has 22 guest rooms to serve families of pediatric patients aged 21 years or younger in treatment at Comer Children's and the nearby rehabilitation hospital,
La Rabida Children's Hospital
La Rabida Children's Hospital is a small pediatric specialty hospital for extended acute care that caters to children with lifelong medical conditions. Located on the South Side of Chicago on Lake Michigan, the facility is designed to showcase its ...
.
Awards
In 2013 ''U.S. News & World Report'' ranked the hospital as #45 in cancer, #40 in diabetes and endocrinology, #36 in gastroenterology, and #40 in neonatology. In 2014 ''U.S. News & World Report'' ranked the hospital as #27 in the U.S. in diabetes and endocrinology.
The hospital ranked as the second best children's hospital in Chicago (behind Lurie Children's) on the 2020-21 ''U.S. News & World Report'': Best Children's Hospital rankings. In 2021 the hospital ranked as #47 in Pediatric Diabetes and Endocrinology and #35 in Pediatric Gastroenterology & GI Surgery on the ''U.S. News & World Report''.
See also
*
List of children's hospitals in the United States
A children's hospital is a medical facility that offers its services exclusively to children and adolescents. Most children's hospitals can serve children from birth up to the age of 21. The number of children's hospitals proliferated in the 20th ...
*
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is a children's hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with its primary campus located in the University City neighborhood of West Philadelphia in the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. The h ...
*
University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
The Pritzker School of Medicine is the M.D.-granting unit of the Biological Sciences Division of the University of Chicago. It is located on the university's main campus in the historic Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago and matriculated its f ...
References
External links
*
{{UChicago
Children's hospitals in the United States
Hospital buildings completed in 2004
Hospitals in Chicago
Teaching hospitals in the United States
Teaching hospitals in Illinois
Hospitals established in 2005
Pediatric trauma centers