Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital has spent the last 20 years growing up to become the leading children’s hospital in Broward and Palm Beach counties and a regional pediatric specialty facility.

For the first 19 years, it operated as part of Memorial Regional Hospital, one of Florida’s largest hospitals and the flagship facility of Memorial Healthcare System. On July 21, 2011, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital opened its doors as a new freestanding facility across from its parent hospital in a building specially designed for children and families.

On September 8, it will celebrate its history and new beginnings with a community event catered for families with a children’s movie under the stars, petting zoo, interactive kids games, hospital tours and many other kid-friendly activities.The event is scheduled from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, 1005 Joe DiMaggio Drive in Hollywood.  

“One of the keys to our success has been truly listening to our patients and their families and incorporating their feedback into our plans,” said Nina Beauchesne, FACHE, administrator, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and administrator, Pediatric Services, Memorial Healthcare System.

As a full-service, patient- and family-centered hospital, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital creates a healing environment where kids can be kids and parents are partners in care. The advanced facility is staffed 24 hours a day by pediatricians, pediatric specialists, specialty-trained nurses and support staff.

During the past two decades, the hospital developed Broward County’s only pediatric heart transplant program and performed the first pediatric cardiac catheterization and open heart surgery in Broward and Palm Beach counties. It also comprised the region’s largest diversity of board-certified pediatric specialists and has Emergency Departments in Hollywood, Miramar and Pembroke Pines.

It has one of the state’s few nationally accredited cystic fibrosis centers, a nationally recognized asthma program ranked third in the United States and features U18 Sports Medicine for young athletes.

The freestanding hospital is a four-story, 180,000-square-foot facility that showcases an overall “Power of Play” theme with each floor displaying themes of Sports, Arts, Games and Dreams. It is connected to Memorial Regional Hospital via an elevated walkway with a total of 204 licensed beds, six pediatric operating rooms, radiology services and an entire floor dedicated to pediatric oncology care.

For more information about Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and the community event, visit JDCH.com.