Nemours Children's Hospital, Florida
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Nemours Children's Hospital, Florida (NCHFL) is a freestanding, 130-bed, pediatric acute care
children's hospital A children's hospital (CH) is a hospital that offers its services exclusively to infants, children, adolescents, and young adults from birth up to until age 18, and through age 21 and older in the United States. In certain special cases, the ...
located in
Lake Nona Medical City Lake Nona Medical City is a health and life sciences park in Orlando, Florida, United States. It is located near Orlando International Airport and within the planned community, master-planned community of Lake Nona, Orlando, Florida, Lake Nona. T ...
in Orlando, Florida. It is affiliated with the University of Central Florida College of Medicine and is a member of the Nemours Children's Health, one of two freestanding hospitals in the system. The hospital, a multi-year recipient of The Leapfrog Award for quality and safety, provides comprehensive pediatric specialties and subspecialties to infants, children, teens, and young adults aged 0–21 throughout Central Florida and beyond. It features a regional
pediatric Pediatrics (American English) also spelled paediatrics (British English), is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, pediatrics covers many of their youth ...
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 intensive care medicine. An inten ...
, neonatal intensive care units, and cardiac intensive care unit, serving both central Florida and the greater Florida regions. The hospital also has a helipad and transport vehicles to transport critically ill patients to and from the hospital. In addition, Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida features its own Nemours Children’s Hospital Residency Program (established in 2017) and, in partnership with the
University of Central Florida The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public university, public research university with its main campus in unincorporated area, unincorporated Orange County, Florida, United States. It is part of the State University System of Florida. ...
’s College of Education started PedsAcademy, the first hospital-based inpatient education and teacher training program.


History

When Nemours announced their plans to open a new children's hospital in Orlando, the public did not support the plan. Adversaries of the project were concerned with the fact that two children's hospitals already existed in the Orlando region and another one would duplicate services and drive prices up. Nemours filed multiple attempts to get their hospital approved and even discussed buying Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children but state officials did not see the need for another children's hospital. Nemours then started an aggressive advertising campaign talking about wanting to bring a nationally recognized children's hospital to the Orlando region. After many attempts to get their project greenlighted by state officials, Nemours was approved. Construction of the hospital began on February 25, 2009, and was managed by the architectural firm
Skanska Skanska AB () is a multinational construction and development company based in Sweden. It was established in 1887 as a concrete product manufacturer. History Aktiebolaget Skånska Cementgjuteriet (Scanian Cement Casting Ltd) was established i ...
and designed by a collaboration of Stanley Beaman, Sears Atlanta Perkins, Will Boston. The new children's hospital is a part of the Nemours Foundation dba as Nemours Children's Health and cost $397 million. The hospital is 630,000 square feet and has a maximum bed capacity of 137 beds, with only 95 operating. In 2016, a new
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 ...
with 15 bedrooms opened adjacent to NCHFL. In 2017, hospital administration announced that they would expand into their 6th floor, adding 30 patient beds. In addition to 30 inpatient beds, the expansion added an operating room and cardiac catheterization lab. The expansion was completed in early 2020. In April 2018, Nemours raised $7 million in its first fundraising campaign. The funds were raised to support the renovation of the Nemours building at 807 Children's Way in
San Marco San Marco is one of the six sestiere (Venice), sestieri of Venice, lying in the heart of the city as the main place of Venice. San Marco also includes the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. Although the district includes Piazza San Marco, Saint Mar ...
, with additional support allocated to Nemours’ Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders and its Hearing Loss Program. On May 12, 2021, the hospital announced that its name will be changed to "Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida", in the summer of 2021. In June 2023, Nemours opened The Players Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, a new facility that provides a full spectrum of cancer and blood disorder care delivery. In September 2023, NCHFL became an official treatment site for
gene therapy Gene therapy is Health technology, medical technology that aims to produce a therapeutic effect through the manipulation of gene expression or through altering the biological properties of living cells. The first attempt at modifying human DNA ...
to treat a rare muscular disease. Dr. Omar Abdul Hamid, a pediatric neurologist at NCHFL, treated the first patient in Florida with
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe type of muscular dystrophy predominantly affecting boys. The onset of muscle weakness typically begins around age four, with rapid progression. Initially, muscle loss occurs in the thighs and pe ...
(DMD). In April 2024, Nemours partnered with the
University of Central Florida The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public university, public research university with its main campus in unincorporated area, unincorporated Orange County, Florida, United States. It is part of the State University System of Florida. ...
to train future pediatric doctors. The partnership will address a projected shortage of physicians across Florida by 2035. In December 2024, the hospital announced plans for a $300 million expansion over the next four years. The plan consists of three new buildings on the hospital campus.


Services

The hospital offers inpatient, outpatient, and rehabilitation services as well as a children's clinic and emergency department on the 60 acre campus. Notable features of the new hospital include all private rooms, expanded storage spaces, and technologies to secure patient rooms and entertain patients.


Awards

In 2013, the hospital attained a
LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a Green building certification systems, green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating ...
Gold certification due to its advanced environmental design. The hospital was the first in Florida to obtain the status, and the third children's hospital in the U.S. to be LEED Gold certified. In 2013, the hospital was listed as one of the "Most Wired" hospitals in the U.S. by the Hospitals and Health Networks magazine. In 2015, the hospital was ranked on the list of "The 50 Most Amazing Children’s Hospitals in the World" by Healthcare Administration DP. In 2019, the hospital was one of three children's hospitals in Florida to earn "Top Children's Hospital" status from The Leapfrog Group, and has earned the recognition for multiple years. In 2024, the hospital earned '' U.S. News and World Report'' rankings in Diabetes & Endocrinology and Orthopedics. Also that year, the Emergency Department received the 2024-2027 Lantern Award from the
Emergency Nurses Association The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) is an international professional organization representing emergency nursing. Consisting of nearly 50,000 members, ENA addresses issues relevant to emergency care, publishes professional guidelines, provides ...
for the third time.


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 ...
*
Nemours Foundation The Nemours Foundation is a non-profit organization in Jacksonville, Florida, created through the last will and testament of philanthropist Alfred I. du Pont by his widow Jessie Ball duPont in 1936, and dedicated to improving the health of c ...
* Nemours Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children * Wolfson Children's Hospital


References


External links


Nemours Children's Hospital in Orlando, Florida


{{DEFAULTSORT:Nemours Childrens Hospital Florida Children's hospitals in Florida Hospitals in Orlando, Florida Hospital buildings completed in 2012 Teaching hospitals in Florida Hospitals established in 2012 Hospital buildings completed in 2020 Pediatric trauma centers
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...