Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Celebrates 125 Years of Pediatric Care

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) is marking its 125th anniversary this month, celebrating more than a century of advances in pediatric medicine through clinical excellence, surgical innovation and scientific discovery.

Incorporated on April 1, 1901, CHLA opened in a small house dedicated exclusively to the care of children. The hospital treated 14 patients in its first year, led by one physician who traveled on horseback to reach young patients across the region. What began as a modest charitable effort has grown into one of the nation’s leading pediatric academic medical centers. CHLA now oversees more than 750,000 patient visits each year, serving children and families in Southern California, as well as from all U.S. states and more than 90 countries.

CHLA is now home to the Saban Research Institute – one of the nation’s leading pediatric research institutions with nearly 600 active clinical trials – and one of the country’s largest training programs for pediatricians, pediatric nurses, researchers and other pediatric health professionals. In addition, the Chuck Lorre Pediatric Health Education Institute delivers comprehensive education at CHLA across six pillars of professional training, including physicians, nurses, clinical service and allied health professionals, researchers, simulation trainees and members of the community workforce. The institute is the first of its kind in the nation and will serve as a model for training pediatric health professionals nationwide.

“The story of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is a 125-year commitment to saving and transforming children’s lives,” said Paul S. Viviano, CHLA’s president and CEO. “Our physicians, nurses, researchers and team members have continually pushed the boundaries of care, developing therapies and surgical approaches that have improved outcomes for generation after generation of children throughout the world.”

Over its 125-year history, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has achieved many notable breakthroughs in pediatric medicine. While there have been many significant advances, the impactful innovations and milestones shaping the hospital’s legacy include the opening of the CHLA Heart Institute in 1930; the 1978 formation of CHLA’s Cancer and Blood Disease Institute; and CHLA’s contributions to early gene therapy research for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), starting in 1993.

“Clinical discovery is central to CHLA’s mission of creating hope and building healthier futures,” said James E. Stein, MD, MSc, FACS, FAAP, senior vice president and chief medical officer of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “In its next century of service, CHLA will continue to expand clinical programs, accelerate translational research and train the next generation of pediatric physicians and surgeons so families everywhere can benefit from the latest advances in pediatric medicine.”

In celebration of its 125th anniversary, CHLA launched the public and final phase of the $1.25-billion Anniversary Campaign this past fall. The initiative honors the hospital’s legacy of care while ensuring future generations of children have access to world-class treatments, innovative research and programs designed to meet pediatric healthcare needs for the next 125 years.

Information for this article was sourced from the CHLA 125th Anniversary press kit.