June 04, 2010 01:57am EST 

It’s a fact: children require specialized health care.  Why is it then that most hospitals do not have adequate pediatric supplies and services?  Fortunately for the whipper-snappers living in Boston, Children’s Hospital Boston is a 396-bed comprehensive center for quality pediatric health care.  Children’s Hospital Boston is one of the largest pediatric medical centers in the United States, and offers a complete range of health care services for children from their birth to their 21st birthday.  They record approximately 22,600 inpatient admissions and 527,500 specialized clinical visits each year.  They also perform 23,000 surgical procedures and 170,000 radiological examinations every year.  Children’s is the primary pediatric teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.
Additionally, Children’s is home to the world’s largest research enterpriser at a pediatric medical center.  Since their inception in 1869, their discoveries have benefited both children, their parents, and adults.  More than 600 scientists comprise Children’s research community.  There have been many advances and discoveries stemming from the research conducted at Children’s.  For example, neurobiology researchers at Children’s successfully got damaged nerves to recover and re-grow in a mouse model.  The findings suggest that targeting these natural growth inhibitors may make it possible to re-grow nerves damaged by brain or spinal cord injuries.  Additionally, a study led by Dr. Scott Armstrong of the Children’s Division of Hematology/Oncology discovered a small but potent epigenetic change that launches a hard-to-treat form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.  The findings are leading to a search for inhibitory drugs targeting the enzymes modifying proteins and chromosome structure.
A certified Magnet hospital for nursing excellence, Children’s Hospital Boston has won many awards and accolades.  For example, they were ranked first in Heart and Heart Surgery, Neurology and Neurosurgery, and Orthopedics in the U.S. News Media Group’s America’s Best Children’s Hospitals.  They are also one of only two hospitals that ranked in the top 5 in all 10 specialties.  It has been a mainstay in the pediatric hospital rankings for 20 years running, and with their mission of providing the highest quality health care, being a leading source of research and discovery, educating the next generation of pediatric leaders, and enhancing the health and well-being of the children and families in their local community, there is no looking back for Children’s Hospital Boston.

Find more information about the Children’s Hospital Boston by logging on to their website.