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Description

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About Us
Monroe Carell Jr Childrens Hospital at Vanderbilt constructed as a freestanding facility in 2004 is nationally recognized as a leading provider of pediatric health care services Childrens Hospital is ranked as one of the top 26 childrens hospitals in the nation by USNews amp World Report magazine in the specialty areas of urology neonatology digestive disorders orthopaedics and heartheart surgery and is ranked 15th in the nation by Parents magazine A 238bed facility Childrens Hospital provides the highest level of pediatric care and is also a toplevel teaching and research facility Childrens Hospital features Centers of Excellence for the treatment of diabetes and congenital heart disorders and offers treatment for cancer organ and bone marrow transplants level 1 pediatric trauma developmental disorders and a neonatal intensive care unit with the highest designated level of care in the state

FOCUS Values
Family Centered Care
The family is constant in a childs life Doctors nurses and other health care providers change

Families deserve complete and unbiased information with support each step of the way

All patients and families are treated with equal care and respect

One Team
The team is made up of patients families doctors and staff

The spirit of Childrens Hospital is built on respect and open communication

Continuous Improvement
Highest quality patient care is our first priority and obligation to the community

Continual improvement is necessary to sustain the quality of care our patients deserve

Unique Environment for Children
A familyfriendly developmentally appropriate environment that is safe and clean is essential to healing

Service Excellence
Highest quality patient care is made possible by a staff specially trained to work with children and families

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History

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Our hospital began as a dream partnering with an existing facility for children and committed volunteers and ultimately laying a strong foundation to become the stateoftheart standalone facility that opened in early 2004

The Monroe Carell Jr Childrens Hospital at Vanderbilts story begins in 1968 and like any masterful work its progress has occurred in marked phases Visit our Historical Timeline page for more details

Vanderbilt Medical School faculty member David T Karzon MD had a vision to create an entire hospital that would serve the healthcare needs of children and pioneer significant change in the area of pediatrics Karzon who eventually chaired the Pediatrics Department of Vanderbilt Hospital developed the mindset of a quothospital within a hospitalquot model and established various centers within the main hospital that specialized in childrens services

Within two years the brandnew Childrens Regional Medical Center was formed adopting a threeprong vision

To deliver the highest quality medical care to
children

To create a special environment for children and
their families

To serve as a resource that is responsive to the
community

In the Fall of 1971 a group of communityminded women approached Dr Karzon about forming a support group of volunteers who would raise funds and create public awareness and the Friends of Childrens Hospital was made official one year later

The Dream Continues
In order for a dream to have a lasting effect there must be a committed focused team that understands its goal In 1980 this team met its goal when the Childrens Hospital facility was completed and all patients residing in the Childrens Hospital and Junior League Home were housed under one roof Click on the following link for information on the relationship between the Junior League of Nashville and Childrens Hospital

The founding medical director for Childrens Hospital was the man who held tight to the dream longer than anyone Dr David Karzon He served for many years and was succeeded in 1988 by Ian Burr MD

Under Dr Burrs leadership Childrens Hospital grew to include more than 29 subspecialties Currently he serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Childrens Health Services and played a vital role in planning the new Childrens Hospital

In August 2000 we were fortunate to add Dr Arnold Strauss as chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Childrens Hospital Dr Strauss is a renowned pediatric cardiologist nationally recognized for his basic and applied research Today Childrens Hospital offers more than 32 subspecialty divisions

The Latest Chapter
While we continue to move forward we are excited about the opportunities and possibilities that are ahead Our new freestanding hospital opened in February 2004 More details on the new facility can be found by visiting the Our Facility section

This hospital was designed with you in mind family friendly and sensitive to the fact that many people are involved in the healing process not just medical professionals We believe that when everyonestaff family friends patientsis involved a seamless system is created that results in optimum care for our children

We are a work in progress but there are some parts of Childrens Hospital that will never change namely our commitment to provide the best possible care to children