Every kid has a dream – to visit faraway places, to discover something new, or to live happily ever after – but sometimes, they need help to get there. And Atrium Health Levine Children’s is dedicated to helping kids live out their dreams they envision.
Which is why, for the 13th consecutive year, Atrium Health’s Levine Children’s Hospital has been recognized as one of the best places to care for children in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. This year, the hospital received the most rankings in its history and remains the only children’s hospital in the region to be given this distinction. U.S. News & World Report introduced the Best Children’s Hospitals rankings in 2007 to help families of children with rare or life-threatening illnesses find the best medical care available. The rankings are considered the most comprehensive source of quality-related information on U.S. pediatric hospitals.
“I always like to say that children’s healthcare is a family approach,” said Andrew Herman, MD, chief medical officer of Levine Children’s Hospital. “From our family to yours, we thank you for letting us stand by your side to help your children thrive.”
The eight specialties that Levine Children’s Hospital received a top 50 ranking in are:
- Cancer
- Cardiology & Heart Surgery
- Gastroenterology & GI Surgery
- Neonatology
- Nephrology
- Neurology & Neurosurgery
- Orthopedics
- Pulmonology (first-time ranking)
On June 16, Levine Children’s Hospital held its first-ever virtual U.S. News & World Report celebration event to maintain a COVID-Safe environment that kept social distancing and proper PPE use at the forefront of the exciting announcement.
“Despite all the changes and challenges we are collectively dealing with, here at Levine Children’s Hospital, we choose to focus on the bright side and the silver linings,” said Callie Dobbins, RN, facility executive at Levine Children’s Hospital. “We choose to believe that recovery – even amidst a global pandemic – is possible. We choose to uplift our patients and their families with words of positivity and support, and we choose to come here to work each and every day and provide the very best care that every child deserves.”
There is a culture of collaboration between the medical teams at Levine Children’s Hospital and the local communities, with a shared vision to expand and improve the care available to patients. Over the past several years, noteworthy examples of this partnership in action, as well as recognition for outstanding clinical care, include:
- Successful recruitment of internationally renowned physicians, including Dr. Giselle Sholler, who will be joining Levine Children’s as the chair of The Isabella Santos Foundation Rare and Solid Tumor Program in September 2020, and Dr. Daniel Bonthius, a researcher in developmental brain disorders and the medical director of the division of child neurology.
- One of a handful of sites nationwide with the ability to turn computer models into three-dimensional replicas of children’s hearts.
- The largest pediatric gastroenterology team in North Carolina and the only team in the Carolinas to perform motility studies for children whose digestive systems have lost muscle coordination.
- Home to the largest and busiest Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) between Atlanta and Washington, DC.
- Establishment of the region’s first and only Pediatric Nephrology Center of Excellence to expand access to cutting edge clinical trials and research.
- With four Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine Associates (CNSA) neurosurgeons specializing in pediatrics– the largest team on the East Coast outside of Boston – this is a distinct advantage for our patients.
- Enhanced patient care and improved orthopedic surgical outcomes from the combined expertise of surgeons from Levine Children’s and OrthoCarolina.
- Official accreditation by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
“Since the inception of Levine Children’s Hospital in 2007, we remain committed to providing the highest quality care in the most compassionate way to the families who come through our doors,” said Stacy Nicholson, MD, MPH, president of Atrium Health Levine Children’s. “We know being close to loved ones is critical for the health and recovery of children and we offer access to highly specialized care without ever having to leave Charlotte.”
In addition to more than 30 specialty clinical programs, the families cared for by Atrium Health Levine Children’s have access to an entire network of children’s services, including: urgent care, hospitals, emergency departments, and the only Level I pediatric trauma center in the region. With over 150 pediatricians across North and South Carolina, families across the region have immediate access to best in class primary care with a direct line to Levine Children’s Hospital should a child need the specialized level of care available there.
“Your child’s care is individualized to what they need today but, moreover, what more they might need next week, next month or next year,” says Susan Massengill, MD, medical director of pediatric nephrology and hypertension at Atrium Health Levine Children’s. “We are here for the entire journey.”
To learn more about the Levine Children’s Hospital rankings, please visit LevineChildrens.org/usnews. Meet a few of our amazing dreamers, like Skylar and Scot, who both underwent successful liver transplants and dream of being a world-famous violinist and legendary football player. Or Demarcus, a cystic fibrosis warrior, who dreams of being a famous basketball player, and thanks to the only Cystic Fibrosis Foundation-accredited care center in Charlotte, he receives the treatment he needs to keep healthy – and keep practicing on the court.
Levine Children’s Hospital is setting the national standard with innovative safety measures, so that each family treated by our pediatric experts feels comfortable and confident with each visit. See what Atrium Health is doing to keep our community COVID-Safe.
