Nationwide Children's Hospital

Children's Hospital of Columbus opened in 1892 with 9 patient beds, which quickly grew to 15 beds. In 1922, the cornerstone for the new hospital was laid, and in 1924, the new hospital opened accommodating 75 patients with the ability to expand to 150 beds immediately (eventually going to 300 beds). In 1931 that the hospital began taking private patients for $4 per week.

In 1954, construction began on the Sellers Wing, which was a physical therapy building used to house polio patients. In 1965, the federal government granted money to be used for the establishment of Children & Youth (C&Y) Clinics throughout the city. These clinics grew into the Close To Home network of clinics since government funding decreased and the hospital continued to privately support them.

The first successful kidney transplant in central Ohio was performed at Children's in 1966, on an 11-year-old boy. Also in 1966, a new infant intensive care service (NICU) opened, specializing in the care of the seriously ill infants. It was operated independently of the regular intensive care unit (ICU).

In 1999, Children's and OhioHealth announced a relationship to operate the Neonatal Special and Intensive Care units at OhioHealth Central Ohio hospitals, which are: Doctors Hospital West, Grant Medical Center and Riverside Methodist Hospital. The hospitals have since collaborated to provide pediatric emergency care at Ohio Health campuses and urgent care facilities throughout Ohio. On March 16, 2002, 13-year-old Brittanie Cecil was struck in the head by a deflected puck during a Columbus Blue Jackets' game against the Calgary Flames at Nationwide Arena. She was rushed to the hospital and died two days later, becoming the only NHL fan to be killed in a game-related accident. The family sued the Blue Jackets, the NHL, and the Nationwide Children's Hospital for failing to detect a torn artery.

In 2003, Children's began an $80 million, 160,000-square-foot (15,000 m2) clinical expansion and started renovating 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) of existing space. Children's became the first freestanding children's hospital in Ohio to receive "Magnet Recognition" in 2004, which is the highest honor for excellence in nursing. In 2005, the hospital performed its first lung transplant on a 23-year-old cystic fibrosis (CF) patient. In 2006, a "Domino" heart and double lung transplant was performed, involving the world's youngest living heart donor. The transplant was performed successfully, by the Children's Hospital Heart Center team led by Dr. Mark Galantowicz.

In 2007, the hospital received a gift of $50 million from the Nationwide Foundation of the Nationwide Insurance Company of Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Children's Hospital was accordingly renamed to Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Clinical services

In 2018, Nationwide Children's Hospital had 18,128 inpatient discharges, performed 38,036 surgeries and saw 1,468,343 outpatient visits. The hospital system has 125 specialties within its main downtown campus and its 34 outpatient care centers throughout the central Ohio area. These include sixteen Close To Home Centers, which offer diagnostic and therapeutic services, and eleven Primary Care Centers, which offer primary care check-ups for children from birth to age 21.

Six Close To Home Centers in Canal Winchester, Dublin, Downtown, East Columbus, Marysville and Westerville offer urgent care services. Other outpatient facilities include the Homecare Center, the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, the Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center and the Orthopedic Center. Also on site is the Outpatient Care Center, which provides subspecialty ambulatory clinics; an outpatient lab and outpatient pharmacy, and pediatric and surgical specialists. The system also has an urgent care center that offers immediate treatment for illnesses and injuries that do not require hospital emergency department attention.

Family-centered care

The hospital provides "family-centered care", focusing on the family's needs, as well as the child's, to promote and maintain the health of the child in the context of the family and community.

Research and education

Research

The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital is one of the fastest growing pediatric research centers in the United States. Organized research began after World War II with the recognition of E. coli III as a source and cause of epidemic diarrhea, and the development of a treatment for histoplasmosis. In 2009, among free-standing children's hospitals, The Research Institute ranked 9th based on NIH funding and amongst all other pediatric research organizations ranked 18th based on NIH funding.

Controversy and criticism

Emergency department naming

In 2008, Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus planned to rename its emergency department the Abercrombie & Fitch Emergency Department and Trauma Center in exchange for a $10 million donation from Abercrombie & Fitch, a locally based retail clothing corporation. A letter written by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and signed by over 100 doctors and children's advocacy groups urged the hospital not to go ahead with the renaming, arguing that, "Given this company's appalling history of targeting children with sexualized marketing and clothing, no public health institution should be advertising Abercrombie & Fitch." People all over the United States questioned the ethics of allowing a pediatric emergency room to be named after a clothing company.