Press Releases

Nicklaus Children’s Taps Market President to Serve as Health System Chief Operating Officer, Chief Clinical Officer Appointed to Chief Physician Executive

July 28, 2026 – Nicklaus Children’s Health System has appointed Yair Katz as senior vice president and chief operating officer and Dr. Marcos Mestre as senior vice president, chief physician executive and chief clinical officer to strengthen operational and clinical alignment as it expands across South Florida. These appointments improve coordination across the growing pediatric network, support continued growth, and help deliver high-quality specialty care to more children and families throughout the region.

Nicklaus Children's Orthopedic Oncologist, Dr. Thomas Utset-Ward Recognized in South Florida Business Journal's 2026 40 Under 40

July 27, 2026 – Dr. Thomas J. Utset-Ward, pediatric orthopedic oncologist at Nicklaus Children's Hospital Orthopedic, Sports Medicine, and Spine Institute is named in South Florida Business Journal's 40 Under 40 Award. The honor recognizes his exceptional leadership, innovation within the pediatric orthopedic oncology field and the life-saving impact on his patients.

Safety for All: Nicklaus Children's Health System Named National Finalist for Quality Excellence

July 24, 2026 – Nicklaus Children's Health System has been named one of three finalists for the American Hospital Association's (AHA) 2026 Quest for Quality Prize, one of the nation's highest honors recognizing leadership and innovation in healthcare quality and patient safety. The finalists and recipient were announced during the AHA's Leadership Summit in Denver.

Nicklaus Children's Hospital Nationally Recognized for its Commitment to Excellence in Cardiovascular Care

July 20, 2026 – Nicklaus Children’s Hospital has received four American Heart Association quality achievement awards for demonstrating a commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart conditions and stroke, helping save lives, support recovery and reduce hospital readmissions.

Nicklaus Children's Transitions to Epic to Enhance Digital Patient Experience

July 08, 2026 – South Florida's leading pediatric health system has begun transitioning its electronic health record (EHR) to Epic. More than 5,000 physicians, nurses and staff will utilize Epic to coordinate care for patients across its three hospital campuses and dozens of primary and specialty care clinics and outpatient centers.

Nicklaus Children's Performs Region's First Pediatric Total Hip Replacement Using Innovative Mixed Reality-assisted Surgical Guidance

June 23, 2026 –

Game-changing procedure for patients and surgeons

Nicklaus Children's Hospital Orthopedic, Sports Medicine, and Spine Institute clinicians made history once again in South Florida after successfully performing the region's first pediatric total hip replacement using mixed reality-assisted surgical guidance. The procedure was performed by Dr. Thomas J. Utset-Ward, a pediatric orthopedic oncologist and one of only 10 specialists in the nation focused entirely on treating bone tumors and complex orthopedic conditions in children and adolescents.

Nicklaus Children's Hospital Heart Institute Achieves Florida's First Staged Cardiac Septation Procedure

June 18, 2026 – The cardiovascular surgery team at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s Heart Institute has successfully performed the first staged cardiac septation in the state of Florida on a 1-year-old baby. As one of only a handful of centers in the world offering this technique, Nicklaus Children’s cardiovascular surgeons used a staged multi-step approach in order to “make a pathway” inside the heart so oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood can move in a way that helps the heart work effectively and will allow for the heart to continue to grow and improve circulation over time.

Nicklaus Children's Hospital Patients Dance Among the Stars as Carlin Family Pledges Five More Years of Prom Magic

June 12, 2026 – Nicklaus Children's Hospital celebrated the 11th Annual Carlin Family Prom, bringing patients and their families together for an Out of This World-themed evening of joy, connection and milestone memories that illness too often puts out of reach. To add to the celebration, Adam and Chanin Carlin, the philanthropic force behind the prom since its founding in 2014, announced a generous new commitment that will extend the Carlin Family Prom for the next five years.

Nicklaus Children's Health System Appoints Vahe Musoyan to Board of Directors

May 14, 2026 – Nicklaus Children's Health System announced the appointment of Vahe Musoyan to its Board of Directors, further strengthening the organization's leadership with expertise in technology, data-driven strategy, and innovation.  

First Traveling Bedside PDA Closure Performed at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Fort Lauderdale NICU

April 22, 2026 – The team at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s Heart Institute has successfully performed the first traveling bedside transcatheter patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure on a 22-week-old premature infant weighing 800 grams within Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Fort Lauderdale, located on the campus of Broward Health Medical Center.

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s Heart Institute Performs Florida’s First Partial Heart Transplant

April 15, 2026 – Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s Heart Institute cardiovascular surgery team successfully performed Florida’s first partial heart transplant on an 11-year-old patient, implanting a donor “living valve” designed to grow with the child and reduce the need for future open-heart surgeries.

Nicklaus Children's Hospital is First in Region to Offer Sedation-Free Evaluation of Upper Gastrointestinal Tract in Children

April 14, 2026 – Transnasal endoscopy procedure can especially benefit children with eosinophilic esophagitis, a condition often requiring repeat endoscopies throughout treatment.
 

Nicklaus Children’s Earns HIMSS EMRAM Stage 7 Validation for Inpatient Care

February 18, 2026 – Nicklaus Children’s Hospital has earned HIMSS EMRAM Stage 7 Validation for inpatient services, the highest level of recognition on the Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model, reaffirming the health system’s continued leadership in the use of technology to support high-quality, patient-centered care.

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Celebrates Lunar New Year with Grand Opening of Panda Cares® Center of Hope

February 17, 2026 – This Lunar New Year, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is celebrating the grand opening of the Panda Cares Center of Hope, made possible by Panda Express^® associates and guests through Children’s Miracle Network^®. Their generosity is helping make big change, for all kids. 

Nicklaus Children's Hospital's Heart Institute Leads the Region with Groundbreaking Techniques for Congenital Heart Disorders

February 04, 2026 – From partial heart transplantation and complex biventricular repairs to innovative procedures in the catheterization laboratory, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital's Heart Institute is pioneering new options for children with pediatric heart conditions.

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

January 13, 2026 – Nicklaus Children’s Health System 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 Hospital's Heart Institute Becomes First in Florida to Perform Pediatric Pulmonary Ozaki

January 05, 2026 – Nicklaus Children’s Hospital'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 Health System 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 Health System 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.