For Immediate Release: March 5, 2010

Contact Brian Reardon (217) 544-6464, ext. 44306 brian.reardon@st-johns.org

ST. JOHN’S CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL ELEVATED TO FULL MEMBER IN NATIONAL NETWORK OF CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS

SPRINGFIELD -- The National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions has established St. John’s Children’s Hospital (SJCH) as an Institutional member. SJCH was re-categorized within the association as a full-voting institutional member, joining the foremost children's hospitals in the nation.

SJCH is one of 218 members and supporters of the nonprofit association, a collective voice for health systems devoted to the well-being of America's 70 million children and their families, no matter how sick or how poor. 

"Institutional participation in NACHRI offers us a vast communications network with people who understand children: their needs, their treatment and the financing of their care," said Peggy Curtin, Executive Director, St. John’s Children’s Hospital. "We look forward to continuing to bring our leadership and special insights to the association in this increased capacity and joining in the imperative for stronger advocacy on behalf of all children."

Through partnership with SIU School of Medicine, St. John’s Children’s Hospital is a unified voice for pediatric health care and philanthropy, volunteerism, child welfare, education, and pediatric program development. The Children’s Hospital offers 80 licensed beds, including a 40 bed Level III Neonatal Unit, an eight bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, and 32 beds in general and intermediate care units. Children’s physicians and staff care for more than 2,000 inpatients, and perform more than 2,800 pediatric outpatient surgeries each year.

NACHRI is a not-for-profit membership association of children's hospitals, large pediatric units of medical centers and related organizations, including those that specialize in rehabilitative and long-term care of children with serious chronic or congenital illnesses.

"We value St. John’s Children’s Hospital as part of the family of care givers devoted to improving the health of children, and we look forward to its active involvement," said NACHRI President and CEO Lawrence A. McAndrews. "Because of their singular focus on children, hospitals like St. John’s Children’s Hospital are able to identify emerging trends and problems associated with the health of children and to develop treatment programs drawing on the expertise of pediatric researchers and practitioners."

Children's hospitals represent approximately 3 percent of all hospitals nationwide; but in 2004, they provided more than 5 million pediatric inpatient days -- accounting for $29.5 billion worth of pediatric care. In addition, the average children’s hospital sees almost 150,000 children per year on an outpatient basis.

With headquarters on the Virginia side of the Potomac River just across from the nation's capital, NACHRI's primary roles are advocacy for children and children’s hospitals, public policy analysis, education for its members and the public and research.

Founded in 1968, NACHRI maintains extensive data on children's health in general and descriptive data on 218 members and the conditions they treat. Some of the issues NACHRI addresses include uninsured children, children dependent on Medicaid, injury prevention, child abuse and neglect, quality of care, patient safety and seriously ill children.

NACHRI is a pioneer in advancing the concept of integrated child health care networks. When fully developed, these networks will make sure that children get the most appropriate and economical health care from experts who are trained at centers of excellence and accountable to the public for children's health and health care.