On March 20, Miami Children's Hospital celebrated its 60th anniversary, bringing together patients, families, physicians, MCH employees, donors and members and leaders of the community with a large carnival-like birthday party in the hospital’s courtyard.
View photos from our 60th anniversary celebration.
MIAMI CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL HISTORICAL TIMELINE:
| March 21, 1950 |
Variety Children’s Hospital opened to the public. |
| Mid 1950s |
The hospital focused on the medical and surgical needs of the children of the community. |
| 1955 |
The hospital served as a center for polio victims until Dr. Jonas Salk developed a cure for the disease in 1955. |
| 1958 |
The hospital became a teaching hospital to prepare doctors in the field of pediatrics. |
| Early 1960s |
Variety Children’s Hospital became a haven for young Cuban refugee children who needed medical care. |
| 1964 |
Variety Children’s Hospital began a $35 million expansion, increasing its bed count and adding new outpatient facilities. |
| 1965 |
The hospital opened its first intensive care unit. |
| 1966 |
The hospital offered the first post-graduate training course in pediatrics. Today the annual conference draws pediatricians from around the world. |
| 1970s |
The hospital created one of the first Child Life programs, providing child development experts to help children adapt to hospital life. |
| 1982 |
Ambassador David M. Walters activated the Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation.1983 |
| 1986 |
A new 213,000-square-foot hospital is dedicated. |
| 1990 |
The hospital’s George E. Batchelor Research and Academic Pavilion opened. |
| 1991 |
Miami Children’s opened a Bone Marrow Transplant Unit. |
| 1995 |
The Congenital Heart Institute at Miami Children’s is founded. |
| 1995 |
Miami Children’s launched its Health on Wheels mobile health units to provide care for underserved children. |
| 1996 |
MCH became the first hospital in the United States to offer Radio Lollipop, an in-house radio station. |
| 1997 |
The hospital’s critical care transport program was renamed LifeFlight™ and a helicopter was acquired to bring critically ill children to the hospital for care. |
| 1998 |
The Miami Children’s Hospital Dan Marino Center opened in Weston, Florida. |
| 2001 |
The Miami Children’s Brain Institute was founded. |
| 2001 |
Miami Children’s Hospital Palmetto Bay Center began serving children in South Dade. |
| 2001 |
Miami Children’s Rehabilitation Services – Miami Lakes opened. |
| 2003 |
The hospital exterior was recreated with the completion of a project to encapsulate buildings in hurricane-protective panels. The colorful panels give the hospital an entirely new look. |
| 2006 |
A new 68,000-square foot Ambulatory Care Building was completed. |
| 2007 |
Miami Children’s Hospital affiliated with Florida International University College of Medicine to support pediatric medical education. |
| 2008 |
Miami Children’s Hospital Doral Center began serving patients. |
| 2009 |
Miami Children’s Hospital West Kendall Center opened. |
| 2009 |
Miami Children’s Hospital Dan Marino Center expanded service offerings to include a new Urgent Care Center. |
About Nicklaus Children's Hospital (2022)
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with approximately 800 attending physicians, including more than 500 pediatric subspecialists. The 309-bed hospital, known as Miami Children’s Hospital from 1983 through 2014, is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with many specialty programs routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. In the 2022-2023 U.S. News ranking, the hospital tied with two other hospitals as the number one children’s hospital in Florida. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and since 2003 has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org.