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Another Year of Leadership for Nicklaus Children's Hospital
Eight specialty programs at Nicklaus Children's are again among the nation's best, according to U.S. News & World Report.
It’s official.
No other hospital in Florida has more ranked pediatric programs than Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.
“Eight of our programs are in the top 50 nationwide,” says Michael Harrington, president and chief operating officer of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. “And we have several subspecialties that were in the top 25.”
The U.S. News rankings are based on clinical survey data from the nation’s pediatric centers and reputational survey information from pediatric specialists and subspecialists. The Best Children’s Hospitals methodology factors in clinical outcomes, efficiency and coordination of the process of care delivery, compliance with “best practices” and steps to control infection and care-related resources such as adequate nursing staff and availability of programs tailored to particular illnesses and conditions.
U.S. News & World Report recently announced its 2017-18 rankings, and the magazine recognized eight specialty programs at Nicklaus Children’s.
Cardiology & Heart Surgery #41
No other program in South Florida is ranked in this category.
Diabetes & Endocrinology #38
Gastroenterology & GI Surgery #46
Neonatology #12
No other program in Florida ranks higher.
Neurology & Neurosurgery #11
No other program in the Southeast ranks higher.
Orthopedics #31
No other program in Florida ranks higher.
Pulmonology #24
No other program in Florida ranks higher.
Urology #17
No other program in Florida ranks higher.
“The entire Nicklaus Children’s Hospital family is honored to again be recognized for the excellence of our pediatric subspecialty programs,” says Dr. Narendra Kini, CEO of Nicklaus Children’s Health System. “I applaud our physicians, nurses and staff for their sustained commitment to excellence and innovation to support the care needs of the children and families of our region and beyond.”
The 289-bed hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with numerous specialty programs consistently ranked among the best in the nation annually since 2008 by U.S. News & World Report.
“When parents are making decisions about treating children, we want them to have as much information as we possibly can,” Harrington says. “The fact that we’re ranked in eight out of 10 categories is really the story. Think about what that means for the quality of a hospital across all of the services that a family would need. While some hospitals may have two, they may have three, the fact that we have eight out of the 10 says that overall quality is something that permeates our organization, not just one or two programs.”
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with more than 740 attending physicians and over 220 pediatric subspecialists.
The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional honor.
“The clinical teams at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital are consistently driven to enhance care outcomes and service excellence. The rankings are a tribute to the vision, hard work and dedication of these care providers. Our physicians, staff, leadership and board are all true champions for children,” says Harrington.
When a parent has a sick child and is faced with making potentially life and death decisions, they’re looking at the clinical component but also for an elevated level of commitment,” Harrington says.
“We believe we have the programs, the services and the relationships that parents can trust. Our anesthesia group does nothing but pediatrics. That’s what they specialize in. Our pharmacy is specifically dedicated to pediatric medication. Nursing, the same thing.
“I love to tell our story, because it’s a great story about a group of people who come together and dedicate themselves daily to being the best advocates for children,” Harrington says. “Of all the things that are happening in our world, I would hope that the one thing that we can all come together on is our children.”
Looking to the future, Harrington says Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is working on key developments that will move the institution even further ahead.
“We have several new programs coming online,” he says. “One that will impact our cardiology component is that we received approval to perform pediatric heart transplants. We have two phenomenal surgeons who do pediatric cardiac surgery, Dr. Kristine Guleserian and Dr. Redmond Burke.
Dr. Guleserian will be leading the program development for heart transplant.
“The other program that will be open by the end of 2018 is a 10-bed maternal fetal program where we will have healthy moms delivering babies who may need very specialized neonatal care,” according to Harrington.
“I love to tell our story, because it’s a great story about a group of people who come together and dedicate themselves daily to being the best advocates for children.”
- Michael Harrington
President and COO, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
For more information, visit nicklauschildrens.org
