For more than 100 years, Akron Children’s Hospital has been privileged to serve the children and families of our community. From our humble beginnings as a day nursery for the children of working parents, we have grown into the largest pediatric care provider in our region, caring for about 500,000 patients each year and performing more pediatric surgeries than any other hospital in northeast Ohio.

Akron Children’s Hospital operates a 253-bed pediatric hospital in downtown Akron, housing a regional burn center for adults and children, as well as a pediatric trauma center and regional neonatal and pediatric intensive care units. Our emergency room receives nearly 65,000 visits every year, making it one of the busiest in the country. The main campus is also home to more than 30 pediatric specialties, including our Heart Center, NeuroDevelopmental Center and Center for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. In 2008, Children’s added Ohio’s only pediatric-specific medical helicopter to its transport fleet. Known as “Air Bear” and based at the main campus helipad, this helicopter ensures that pediatric trauma patients in our region are closer to care than ever before.

Many of our pediatric specialties are also offered at more than 70 off-site facilities and partner campuses throughout the region, including Norwalk and Medina to the west; Mansfield, Canton and New Philadelphia to the south; and Beachwood and Twinsburg to the north. Much of our recent growth has focused on the Mahoning Valley to the east. In 2008, our new Beeghly Campus opened in Boardman, featuring a 32-bed inpatient unit, allied health services such as radiology, rehabilitation, laboratory medicine and pharmacy, and a 24/7 emergency department. Akron Children’s Emergency Departments are also available in Hudson and, as of August 2009, in Montrose at the Akron General Health & Wellness Center West.

In addition, the hospital provides more than 100 advocacy, education, outreach and research programs offered to children and their families. These programs include Promoting Adolescents Through Health Services (PATHS), an initiative to support at-risk adolescents, as well as the Family Child Learning Center (FCLC), a unique collaboration with Kent State University designed to promote quality early childhood services.

All of these services are provided using a family- and patient-centered care philosophy, treating each child as if he or she were our own. Parents and others close to the child are considered important members of the health care team. Their input is critical to ensuring the best possible outcome for their loved one. This philosophy is also reflected in a patient’s surroundings — walls adorned with the colorful art of children and teens, as well as rooms that allow a parent to spend the night. In addition, patients are able to choose what they want to eat, when they want to eat, from our room service menus.

Akron Children’s Hospital has earned the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission, Magnet Recognition Status from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, NorthCoast 99 recognition as one of the top workplaces in northeast Ohio, and many other accolades that reflect the dedication and talent of our staff, as well as the trust and support of our community.

For more information, visit www.akronchildrens.org.