Mission Moment

As children age, they achieve developmental milestones. As a children’s health care system, we are not really any different and are always striving to achieve new milestones. Together, we celebrate some of these with you.

For the 15th consecutive year, we have ranked in 10 out of 10 specialties by U.S. News and World Report; we are the only children’s hospital in Tennessee to attain this goal and one of only 22 children’s hospitals to do so nationally. And for the first time, we achieved a new designation as the No. 1 children’s hospital in Tennessee and in the entire Southeast.

Also, this spring, we opened our third cardiac catheterization room with state-of-the-art monitoring and imaging capabilities — and it is busy. This year, our Child Life program celebrates 50 years of supporting children and families, improving health outcomes along the way. And, as you will see, HOPE magazine has a new design as we move into a second decade of sharing our stories with you. None of these achievements would be possible without the incredible collaborative spirit and efforts of our faculty, staff and trainees over many decades.

In this revamped edition, you will still see great features, including a story introducing you to our Family Advisory Council, a committed group of parents and caregivers who make us a better place because of their wisdom. We also highlight our complexity of care through stories of surgical innovation and statewide care for children with rheumatological diseases. And we share the breadth of our programs in our new Spotlight on specialized care, Q&A with program leaders, and a personal essay from patients or families.

In a year-plus of unprecedented challenges, one thing has remained unwavering: our commitment to give hope as we enhance the health and well-being of the children and families we serve through our innovation, education and discovery.

We want to thank you, our community and partners, for your ever-present support of the care of our patients and families as well as the advancement of our missions. We hope you enjoy our new look!

Sincerely,

Meg Rush, MD, MMHC
President

Steven Webber, MBChB, MRCP
Pediatrician-in-Chief, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics and James C. Overall Professor

Jeffrey Upperman, MD
Surgeon-in-Chief and Chair of the Department of Pediatric Surgery

John W. Brock III, MD
Senior Vice President of Pediatric Surgical Services, Monroe Carell Jr. Professor, Surgeon-in-Chief Emeritus