Press Releases

NCH and Nicklaus Children’s Announce Major Plans to Expand Care for Women and Children

January 20, 2026 – Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH) and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital today announced a major expansion of care for women and children in Southwest Florida, made possible by a visionary gift from Bill and Julia Van Domelen Foundation.

Nicklaus Children’s Announces New Board Chair Appointments Across Health System, Hospital, Foundation

January 13, 2026 – Nicklaus Children’s announced new board leadership appointments across its governing entities, with new chairs named for the Nicklaus Children’s Health System, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation boards of directors.

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Earns Fourth Consecutive Top Children’s Hospital Award by The Leapfrog Group for Outstanding Quality and Safety

January 06, 2026 – Highlighting its nationally recognized achievements in patient safety and quality, Nicklaus Children's was named a Top Children's Hospital by The Leapfrog Group. This award is one of the most competitive honors hospitals and surgery centers in the United States can receive for their commitment to safety and quality.

Nicklaus Children’s Heart Institute Becomes First in Florida to Perform Pediatric Pulmonary Ozaki

January 05, 2026 – Nicklaus Children’s Heart Institute has successfully performed an innovative pulmonary heart valve repair utilizing a complex and unique technique known as the Ozaki procedure, becoming the first known pediatric program in the state of Florida to do so and among only a select group of pediatric health systems globally.

Nicklaus Children’s Announces New Regional Structure to Meet Growing Healthcare Complexities of South Florida Children

December 19, 2025 – In response to the evolving healthcare needs of families across South Florida, Nicklaus Children’s announced a new regional operating structure. The new model is designed to enhance and expand care for families across South Florida and to address increased need for complex care closer to home for thousands of children.

Nicklaus Children's and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation Celebrate Grand Opening of Miami's Seacrest Studios

December 09, 2025 – Inside Nicklaus Children's Advanced Pediatric Care Pavillion, opening with a special live broadcast, Seacrest Studios is now "On-Air" in a state-of-the-art broadcast media center designed to inspire and uplift patients through the power of creativity, connection and entertainment. Made possible through a grant from the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, Seacrest Studios at Nicklaus Children’s will be the first bilingual studio in the network to offer content in Spanish for its partners.

Nicklaus Children's Young Ambassadors Raise Over $320K at 12th Annual Fashion Gives Back

November 19, 2025 – A group of young professionals committed to supporting Nicklaus Children’s, known as Nicklaus Children’s Young Ambassadors (NCYA), hosted their 12th annual Fashion Gives Back fundraiser raising over $320,000 for patients and families. This year’s event, hosted at the Bass Museum of Art in Miami Beach, immersed guests in a world where fashion meets purpose, featuring stunning designs inspired by artwork created by Nicklaus Children’s patients.

Nicklaus Children’s Named as One of America’s Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces®

October 22, 2025 – For the fourth consecutive year, Nicklaus Children’s Health System is listed in America’s Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces^® list. Rising to #34 on this year’s list, the ranking highlights 100 organizations across industries that are transforming employee experience and redefining retention strategies in today’s economy.

Nicklaus Children’s Heart Institute Launches Bedside Transcatheter PDA Closure Offering for Newborns

October 16, 2025 – Nicklaus Children’s Heart Institute, a world-recognized leader in heart innovation, is now offering bedside transcatheter patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closures for medically fragile newborns.This new offering brings advanced therapy directly to the neonatal intensive care unit, allowing procedures to be performed within the baby’s own isolette or crib.

U.S. News & World Report Ranks Nicklaus Children's Among Nation’s Top 50 Hospitals

October 07, 2025 – Ranked among the nation's top 50 best by U.S. News & World Report, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is listed in its 2025-26 “Best Children’s Hospitals” survey results with seven specialty ranked programs, making the hospital the children’s hospital with the most ranked programs in South Florida.

Nicklaus Children's Hospital is Nationally Recognized for its Commitment to Providing High-Quality Cardiovascular Care

September 17, 2025 – Nicklaus Children’s Hospital has received six American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines^® achievement awards for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease and stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital.

Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute First to Offer Innovative Heart Stent Designed for Babies

August 28, 2025 – Nicklaus Children's Hospital's Heart Institute is ushering in a new era of cardiac treatment for children across South Florida. Nicklaus Children's is the first hospital in South Florida to offer the latest innovative Minima Stent from Renata Medical, the first FDA-approved heart stent that expands as the child grows. This innovation gives new hope to babies and young children with congenital heart disease, helping them avoid repeated open-heart surgeries.

Global leader in pediatric congenital cardiac surgery joins Nicklaus Children’s, faculty of FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

August 11, 2025 – Dr. David M. Kalfa, a pioneer in developing minimally invasive surgical approaches to treating congenital heart defects, will join Nicklaus Children’s as chief of the Section of Cardiovascular Surgery and co-director of the Nicklaus Children’s Heart Institute on Sept. 1.

Shannon Odell of Nicklaus Children's Recognized by Women We Admire as Top 50 Women Chief Nursing Officers of 2025

August 08, 2025 – Women We Admire has recognized Shannon Odell, system vice president and chief nursing officer of Nicklaus Children's, for her second consecutive year on the Top 50 Women Chief Nursing Officers list, highlighting her significant role in patient care.

Safer, Innovative 3D Imaging for South Florida Children Available Only at Nicklaus Children’s Orthopedic, Sports Medicine and Spine Institute

July 28, 2025 – Providing a safer, innovative approach to digital imaging for children in Florida is a guiding principle to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s approach to enhancing care for families. The opening of the new state-of-the-art Nicklaus Children’s Orthopedic, Sports Medicine and Spine Institute marks a huge milestone in enhancing diagnostic imaging for children.

Lead Pediatric Spine Surgeon and Researcher, Dr. Jaime A. Gomez, Joins Nicklaus Children’s

July 17, 2025 – Board-certified pediatric spine surgeon and researcher, Dr. Jaime A. Gomez, has joined the Nicklaus Children’s Orthopedics, Sports Medicine and Spine Institute.

Miami’s Top Healthcare and Research Institutions & Sunshine Genetics Act Power Florida’s Genomic Medicine Revolution

July 10, 2025 – State leaders and Miami’s top medical and research institutions unite to propel Florida to the forefront of genomic medicine and rare disease innovation.

Nicklaus Children's Outpatient Centers Designated as ACR Diagnostic Imaging Center of Excellence

May 30, 2025 – All Nicklaus Children’s Outpatient Centers have been designated a Diagnostic Imaging Center of Excellence^® (DICOE) by the American College of Radiology^®(ACR^®).

Naples Children & Education Foundation and Nicklaus Children’s Pediatric Behavioral Health Program Now Delivering Care in Collier County

May 29, 2025 – In recognition of May as Mental Health Awareness Month, Nicklaus Children's Health System is proud to highlight the successful launch and ongoing expansion of its pediatric behavioral health services in Collier County.

Nicklaus Children's and Florida International University Seal the Deal with New Partnership

May 20, 2025 – Nicklaus Children’s and Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine have officially launched an academic partnership that will expand pediatric training opportunities, enhance patient care, and strengthen research in South Florida and beyond.