Click here for high resolution badge. By Iris Stone March 2016 Welcome to our ranking of the 30 most technologically advanced children’s hospitals in the world. Talking about children’s hospitals is not necessarily a fun topic; no matter how great the health centers are, it can be difficult to bring attention to the reality that many young people deal with serious – even terminal – illnesses like cancer. The men and women who work in these hospitals as nurses, doctors, pediatric surgeons, and specialists deserve our recognition for their willingness to devote their time to such a worthy cause. And in fact, the hospitals themselves deserve our recognition, too! Childhood diseases, whether genetic or acquired, can be incredibly complex and difficult to fight, so pediatric specialty hospitals must have a wealth of specialized research units, cutting-edge technologies, and innovative treatments on hand at all times. That’s where our ranking comes in; we’ve focused our analysis on determining the very best technologically-advanced children’s hospitals worldwide. Methodology In determining our top list, we started by cross-referencing international lists of children’s hospitals (such as the one found here with top rankings of hospitals and healthcare networks (such as the one found on Webometrics here. This helped us determine a manageable list of reputable hospitals that focus on pediatrics. Using this list of nearly 100 top hospitals, we researched each contender individually to examine their technological strengths in the areas of patient care, research, diagnostics, and treatment options. This could include anything from robot-assisted surgery to 3D-printed prosthetic devices. At the end, we combined a quantitative approach (direct ranking based on number of high-tech features and world ratings) and a holistic approach, in which we considered each hospital’s broader community impact, overall attitude toward/emphasis on technological advances and innovations, and commitment to cutting-edge research. And although it is true that many of the world’s top pediatric hospitals are located in the United States, we made an effort to preserve the international aspect of this ranking and include multiple institutions from other countries. We also included “high tech specs” for each hospital, or lists of some of the best technologically-advanced features they offer. While these lists are not necessarily comprehensive, they should help provide an accurate sense of just how tech-focused these children’s hospitals are – and point you in the right direction should you ever be in need of a pediatric specialist yourself. When it comes to size, age, and impact, the Toronto-based Hospital for Sick Children is a strong contender for one of the best pediatric hospitals in the world.

30. The Hospital for Sick Children

Toronto, ON, Canada

Website In addition to being a teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children is also the second-largest pediatric research hospital in the world. This technologically advanced children’s hospital has been at the forefront of healthcare research for well over a century, introducing milk pasteurization to Toronto thirty years before the now-ubiquitous legislative mandates, and contributing to the discovery of the gene for cystic fibrosis in 1989. Today, The Hospital for Sick Children continues to set the pace for pediatrics healthcare technology through such pioneering work as diagnostic telemedicine in ophthalmology and creative arts therapy. High Tech Specs: Telemedicine, Creative arts therapy With a fully equipped mobile unit, Randall Children’s Hospital makes its high-tech services accessible to families through the region.

29. Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel

Portland, OR, United States

Website Constructed less than a decade ago in 2007, Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel is a brand new, tailor-made facility that is fully equipped for the latest treatments in pediatric care. In addition to providing a comprehensive array of pediatric specialties ranging from burns, oncology, and dentistry to surgery, orthopedics, and neonatal ICU, Randall is also home to the first and only pediatric emergency room in the state of Oregon. But Randall’s resources are not confined to its facility, or even its state: with their KIDS Team Mobile ICU on call 24 hours a day, Randall can respond to pediatric emergencies rapidly throughout the entire Pacific Northwest. High Tech Specs: Maternal fetal medicine ECMO, Mobile ICU

28. Children’s Mercy Kansas City

Kansas City, MO, United States

Website Children’s Mercy, Adele Hall Campus is the flagship location of Children’s Mercy Kansas City, a comprehensive pediatric healthcare system with locations that span the states of Missouri and Kansas. This enormous 354-bed facility is among the best children’s hospitals in the country, and just one of a handful of such facilities to be national recognized by U.S. News for excellence in ten pediatric specialties. In fact, in a 2014 Bloomberg profile, Mercy’s Center for Pediatric Genomics was celebrated for being “among the most technologically advanced in the world.” But Children’s Mercy Kansas City is perhaps most notable for the breadth of care they provide, including $30 million in uncompensated care in 2012 through charity and unreimbursed Medicare and Medicaid. High Tech Specs: Prototyping craniofacial reconstruction services The Royal Belfast Hospital is by far one of the top pediatric hospitals in the United Kingdom, with a specialized ICU and innovative “play therapy” techniques.

27. Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children

Belfast, United Kingdom

Website As the only hospital devoted to pediatric care in Northern Ireland, the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children features a comprehensive range of healthcare services, including innovative treatment and diagnostic tools and emergency transport services. Their CONNECCT Program, for instance—which stands for Child Or Neonate Needing Emergency Critical Care Transport—integrates pediatric and neonatal teams with dedicated ambulance crews to provide considerable access to RBHSC’s pediatric intensive care unit. RBHSC also extends their resources through Play Therapy, a regional service that is actually available in patients’ own homes. In addition to providing structured emotional support and physical therapy for children both before and after treatment, Play Therapy is also used as a diagnostic tool via “play-based observation.” High Tech Specs: Neonatal Surgery Department, Pediatric Neuro-disability surgery This New York-based children’s hospital offers high-tech services for patients who need emergency care.

26. Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York

New Hyde Park, NY, United States

Website The Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York represents the pediatrics division of Northwell Health, the largest integrated health system in the state. Located just outside of New York City in scenic Long Island, CCMC is home to dozens of cutting-edge pediatric specialties that draw hundreds of patients from around the state annually. CCMC also features the only pediatric ICU in Long Island with a 24/7, onsite attending physician, making it a top resource for young critical care patients. As such, CCMC is a leader in pediatric surgery, with laparoscopy and theracoscopy specialists who can dramatically reduce risk and recovery times for procedures as diverse as cystectomies, hernia repairs, and biopsies. High Tech Specs: ECMO laproscopic surgery, Theracoscopic surgery Innovative “pill cameras” and a huge NICU are just two of the ways this hospital qualifies as one of the most technologically advanced pediatric specialty centers in the world.

25. Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent’s

Indianapolis, IN, United States

Website Situated within the central location of the statewide healthcare organization St. Vincent Health, Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital is host to abundant, unparalleled resources for pediatric care. This high-tech children’s hospital boasts 17 private rooms in Indiana’s first pediatric ER; 300+ physicians and specialists; a 24-hour nursing staff with an average of ten years’ experience; and the largest level-III newborn ICU in the state. And PMCH is just as committed to quality of care as they are to quantity; just consider their pediatric gastroenterology department, which provides young patients with in-clinic biologic infusions, and “pill cameras” that can provide completely non-invasive insight into digestive activity. High Tech Specs: Minimally invasive surgery, Pediatric gastroentology surgery, Thorascopic surgery The doctors at this high-tech children’s hospital spend their time bioengineering organs and 3D printing medical implants.

24. The Children’s Hospital of Illinois at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center

Peoria, IL, United States

Website In 2013, the Children’s Hospital of Illinois at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center made headlines around the world for completing not only the first bioengineered transplant on a child in the U.S., but also the first bioengineered trachea transplant in the world. This kind of trailblazing, high-tech achievement is characteristic of the innovation going on at CHI, which was listed among the country’s “Most Wired Hospitals” as early as 2000 by Hospitals and Health Networks. The next step? Cardiologists at CHI are already using 3D-printing technology to build a “collaborative heart library” for education and clinical purposes. High Tech Specs: 3D Printing Virtual Urgent Care, Laproscopic surgery From genetics to speech pathology, the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital provides services in just about every pediatric specialty imaginable.

23. The University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital

Chicago, IL, United States

Website The University of Chicago Medical Center is consistently ranked among the top 10 hospitals in the country, due in no small part to the forward-thinking research and clinical achievements coming out the Gary Comer Children’s Hospital. In addition to providing the only level-I trauma center for children on Chicago’s South Side and pioneering pediatric stem cell transplants over 20 years ago, this top children’s hospital continues to illuminate the path for physicians in disciplines as diverse as otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat) and plastic surgery. In their cochlear implant program, for example, surgeons, geneticists, speech pathologists, and social workers have all come together to develop a safe and reliable procedure to bring sound to the lives of toddlers and infants born deaf. High Tech Specs: Stem cell transplants, Plastic and reconstructive pediatric surgery, Chest wall deformities surgery Bristol Myers Squibb simultaneously serves as a top-tier trauma center and innovative leader in research, tirelessly seeking better treatments for childhood illnesses.

22. Bristol Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

New Brunswick, NJ, United States

Website Joined by the Children’s Specialized Hospital and the Child Health Institute of New Jersey, the Bristol Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital represents the acute care segment of the state’s first comprehensive pediatric medical campus. As such, BMSCH offers a level-I pediatric trauma center and well as a pediatric ICU that serves the entire central New Jersey area. But this technologically advanced children’s hospital also avails itself of the resources of its neighbors, which provides access to cutting-edge medical procedures and technology such as pediatric robotic surgery (usually reserved for adults) as well as treatments for pyeloplasty and partial nephrectomy. High Tech Specs: Pediatric cataract surgery, Partial nephrectomy surgery, Robotic surgery When it comes to size and scope, the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center – which serves more than 60,000 patients a year – is hard to beat!

21. Connecticut Children’s Medical Center

Hartford, CT, United States

Website Serving more than 15,000 primary care, 55,000 emergency care, and 6,000 surgery patients annually at a single location in Hartford, the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center is one of the most critical pediatric care facilities in the country. CCMC is also at the forefront of a number of emerging movements in child surgery, including robotics. Led by Christina Kim since 2005, CCMC’s robotic surgery department features Da Vinci S, which provides 3D imaging during minimally invasive surgery (as opposed to 2D imaging via laparoscopy), and is widely considered the most advanced technology available in the field. High Tech Specs: Pediatric youth outreach HIV program, Bariatric surgery, Da vinci robot, Minimally invasive robotic surgery The Sanzari Children’s Hospital stands out not just for its technological innovations, but also for its commitment to environmentally friendly practices.

20. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center

New York, NY, United States

Website Hackensack University Medical Center is the fourth-largest hospital in the U.S. in terms of annual admissions, but lacked a devoted childcare center until very recently. By 2013, the number of patients treated annually in Hackensack’s pediatric emergency department broke 35,000, which motivated Sanzari administrators to finally put a plan into action. Through collaboration with the Deirdre Imus Environmental Center, designers worked hard to construct the Sanzari Children’s Hospital to be a high-tech, “green” facility from the ground up. The facility even has solar-powered wifi and plasma screens in every unit! SCH already ranks among the top 30 children’s hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery (according to U.S. News), making it the first nationally recognized children’s hospital in the state. High Tech Specs: Blood and marrow transplant coordination CARRA, Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators Located in Tel Aviv, Israel, the Dana-Dwek Children’s Hospital stands as beacon of modern, state-of-the-art medical practices in the Middle East.

19. Dana-Dwek Children’s Hospital Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center

Tel Aviv, Israel

Website Serving Tel Aviv and the greater metropolitan area, the Dana-Dwek Children’s Hospital at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center represents the height of medical expertise and technology in the economic center of the Middle East. While recognized for excellence in dozens of pediatric specializations, DDCH’s most famous department is probably pediatric surgery. In fact, DDCH is one of the few medical centers in Israel that hosts pediatric surgeons trained at the best children’s hospitals in North America. As a result, pediatric surgeons at DDCH are noted for their groundbreaking work in microsurgical reconstruction, a novel procedure which can cure partial paralysis by transplanting and grafting tissue from large muscle groups to affected areas. High Tech Specs: Cleft palate surgery, Microsurgical reconstruction for facial reanimation Going even further east, young patients can access the numerous high-tech medical services available at this world-class pediatric hospital in Tokyo, Japan.

18. National Center for Child Health and Development

Tokyo, Japan

Website The National Center for Child Health and Development is one of the most robust hospitals and research facilities in Japan, tasked with developing innovative treatment and research methods in a huge variety of pediatric fields. Designated by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare as a core clinical research, central infant cancer care, and disaster situation coordination hospital, the NCCHD is an unrivaled nexus for funding, talent, and unique challenges. In fact, in just 2013, the NCCHD completed the first infant hepatocyte (liver cell) transplant with a living donor, providing the cure for an otherwise fatal metabolic liver condition. High Tech Specs: Retinopathy procedures, Premature child services, Living donor transplants, Microtia treatment, Blood sampling From its work with 3D-printed organs to its innovative research in pediatric oncology, Helen Devos Children’s Hospital undoubtedly deserves its spot on this ranking of technologically advanced children’s hospitals.

17. Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital

Grand Rapids, MI, United States

Website With 40 pediatric specialty services ranging from allergy and immunology to urology, the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is one of the best children’s hospitals for advanced pediatric care. Researchers and physicians at HDCH are constantly raising the bar. In fact, the hospital has even earned an award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology for their work to improve cancer care through clinical research. And in 2015, cardiologists at HDCH were the first to successfully create and use a 3D-printed model of a patient’s heart to reduce the time of a complicated heart valve replacement surgery to just two hours. High Tech Specs: Craniofacial consultations via video chat, Pediatric simulation program, Congenital heart center (electrophysiology/cardiac catheterization/fetal cardiology), Neonatology, Neurosurgery From emergency care for ICU patients to high-tech services for the chronically ill (including an innovative “gait laboratory”) this children’s hospital is overloaded with technologically advanced – and life-saving – treatment options.

16. George and Marie Backus Children’s Hospital at Memorial Health Medical Center

Savannah, GA, United States

Website The George and Marie Backus Children’s Hospital at Memorial Health Medical Center provides comprehensive pediatric care services throughout southeast Georgia, ranging from disease management and critical care to child life services and regular checkups to ensure proper child growth and development. In addition to featuring the region’s only pediatric neurosurgeon—Dr. Willard Thompson—GMBCH is also noted for a number of specialized treatments and facilities, such as assistive tech for disabled patients; a “gait laboratory” that combines cameras and treadmills to provide treatment for children who have trouble walking; and even aquatic tech for rehab, physical therapy, and circulatory promotion. High Tech Specs: Aquatic technology, Assistive technology, Gait lab, Laproscopic surgery, Pediatric nuerosurgery unit, Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) repair, Thorascopic pectus bar insertion Of all the high-tech hospitals on this list, Royal Children’s is perhaps the best at creating a comfortable environment for patients – from sunlight rooms to outdoor play parks.

15. Royal Children’s Hospital

Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Website The Royal Children’s Hospital is as cutting-edge as medicine gets: in addition to its comprehensive range of pediatric healthcare services and prominent standing as the statewide trauma center for pediatrics in Victoria, it also receives nationally funding for cardiac and liver transplantation programs. But what makes the RCH truly cutting-edge is not only these conventional metrics, but also its new commitment to making its facilities more comforting to patients and their families. The new RCH building makes use of its scenic park environment to bath patients in sunlight and allow them to play outdoors and enjoy the fresh air. High Tech Specs: Rooms designed for health (greenery and natural light), Designated state-wide trauma center, Centers for cardiac and liver transplantation, Pediatric palliative care, Infant hearing screening program, Pediatric orthopedic network

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With 70 subspecialties and a top ranking from the Joint Commission, it’s easy to see why the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital is one of the best children’s hospitals in the world.

14. Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago

Chicago, IL, United States

Website For most people, it would be enough to hear that the Joint Commission ranked the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago as one of three top performing hospitals in the nation – based on a rating of key quality measures. But Lurie’s accolades don’t end there; the hospital also ranks #1 regionally for all 70 subspecialties offered by volume, providing care for 15,000 children annually. In particular, this high-tech children’s hospital is widely regarded for its advanced stem cell transplant program, and treats more cancer and blood disease patients than any other hospital in Illinois. High Tech Specs: Fetal intestinal transplants, Stem cell transplants, Genetic testing, Robot-assisted surgery Young patients at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital benefit from cutting-edge treatments like robot-assisted surgery and “exoskeletons” to help with physical therapy.

13. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Cincinnati, OH, United States

Website With nearly 600 active beds, the busiest pediatric ER in the country, and southwest Ohio’s only level-I pediatric trauma center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is quite a big deal. And with so many patients to treat in a limited amount of time and space, the physicians and researchers have turned to automated treatment methods to reduce recovery time and increase patient turnaround. Like the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, CCHMC offers minimally invasive robotic surgery via the Da Vinci Surgical System, but they also take it a step further with the Lokomat. This robotic “exoskeleton” controls patients’ legs at the hips and knees to help them recover from muscular deterioration and nervous system damage. High Tech Specs: Robot-assisted surgery, Da Vinci Robotic machine for pediatrics, Robot-assisted gait technology Just based on its reputation in research alone, the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center deserves its ranking on this list of best pediatric hospitals in the world.

12. Johns Hopkins Children’s Center

Baltimore, MD, United States

Website Consistently ranked the best hospital in the nation by U.S. News, Johns Hopkins Hospital is also home to one of the oldest pediatric hospitals in the country (and the first ever to be affiliated with a research institute): the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. Today, the JHCC carries on its century-plus legacy of trendsetting pediatric treatment and research with the newly constructed Bloomberg Children’s Center. With lavish features like a dedicated pediatric radiology facility; 10 state-of-the-art surgical suites specially equipped for non-invasive surgical procedures; and oversized, private inpatient rooms, it’s not likely that the reputation of this esteemed hospital will tarnish any time soon. High Tech Specs: Pediatric heart

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