Today Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Main Line Health announced an affiliation agreement that will fully transition Main Line Health’s pediatric care and services from Nemours Children’s Health to CHOP.
CHOP doctors and advanced practice providers will care for pediatric patients at select Main Line Health locations, including the neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) at Main Line Health’s four acute care hospitals: Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital, and Riddle Hospital, as well as Bryn Mawr Hospital’s inpatient Pediatric Unit and Emergency Department. The pediatric nursing and ancillary staff currently employed with Main Line Health hospitals will remain in place.
Main Line Health and CHOP have already begun to collaborate, utilizing the combined expertise and infrastructure of the two organizations to deliver outstanding and convenient care to patients and families at Main Line Health suburban locations. In April 2022, CHOP began to provide complex ophthalmic care for premature babies at all four Main Line Health hospitals’ NICUs. In May, care expanded to neonatal and pediatric cardiovascular services, including cardiology consultation, echocardiography, and EKG interpretation at Main Line Health hospitals.
Effective October 2022, CHOP will provide:
- 24/7 professional coverage at all four Main Line Health hospitals’ NICUs
- 24/7 professional coverage of the Pediatric Unit at Bryn Mawr Hospital
- Pediatric coverage in the Bryn Mawr Hospital Emergency Department
- Neuro-pediatric services, including EEG interpretation and continuous EEG monitoring
- Surgical consultation and bedside procedures for the Level III NICU’s at Bryn Mawr Hospital and Lankenau Medical Center
In addition to clinical services, the affiliation seeks to bring the best of both organizations together for collaboration in pediatric training and education. In July 2022, Main Line Health’s surgical and urology residents began fulfilling their pediatric specialty rotations at CHOP. The organizations will also explore additional clinical education and research collaborations.
In the Fall of 2022, CHOP will open a new CHOP outpatient specialty care center on the Bryn Mawr Hospital campus. The center will include 14 patient care rooms for Cardiology, Fetal Heart, Neurology, Gastroenterology and Endocrinology specialty care. Additional pediatric specialty services will follow.
“We are delighted to embark on this affiliation with Main Line Health, which will allow us to provide families with the best of both of our organizations,” said Madeline Bell, President and CEO of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “Driving this alliance is our shared dedication to improving children’s health, and we look forward to working together to advance pediatric patient care.”
“Nemours has been a valued partner of Main Line Health for 25 years; providing excellent care to our pediatric community. Now, we look forward to a long and collaborative relationship with CHOP in delivering comprehensive and convenient pediatric care, programs and services to our youngest patients and families everywhere. The expertise and synergy between our two institutions will lead to limitless opportunities, innovation and outstanding pediatric clinical care,” said Jack Lynch, FACHE, President and CEO of Main Line Health.
About Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia:
A non-profit, charitable organization, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation’s first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, the 595-bed hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. The institution has a well-established history of providing advanced pediatric care close to home through its CHOP Care Network, which includes more than 50 primary care practices, specialty care and surgical centers, urgent care centers, and community hospital alliances throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as a new inpatient hospital
