About Us

Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, in 1894, at the Brady Street location.

In 1894, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin was founded by seven Milwaukee women who had a vision. They saw an urgent need to establish a hospital for children, especially those from poor immigrant families who had made Milwaukee their home.

Through their efforts, Milwaukee's Children's Hospital was incorporated on March 16, 1894. Three months later, Children's Free Hospital, as it was known then, opened in a small rented house. The hospital's founders knew sick children required special compassion and their illnesses, fears and needs are different than those of adults. They were committed to providing free health care to any child, regardless of race, nationality or religion. More than 100 years later, much has changed for Children's Hospital and children's health care. The hospital has relocated five times and, in 1985, became known as Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

Children's Hospital of Wisconsin

Children's Hospital of Wisconsin is approximately six miles west of downtown Milwaukee on the grounds of the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center. An affiliate of the adjacent Medical College of Wisconsin, the current facility opened in 1988, replacing an aging complex of buildings. Children's Hospital of Wisconsin now houses nine inpatient units, including the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Hematology/Oncology/Transplant Unit, Epilepsy Monitoring Unit and Short Stay Unit.

Our mission is our children, and it spells "care."

Caregiving - offering some of the nation's best medical care.

Advocacy - speaking up and protecting children.

Research - finding cures to the illnesses that affect children.

Education - sharing what we learn and teaching others to care for kids.

The mission of Children's Hospital of Wisconsin is to provide a comprehensive and integrated pediatric health care delivery model which delivers superior quality and value by offering the best solution for the total health care needs of children within our community, state and region.

As a premier and standard-setting leader in the delivery of pediatric clinical service, education and research, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin advocates for the rights of children, and brings a commitment to excellence to our patients and families, medical staff, employees and communities in addressing the health and well-being of children.

Children's Hospital of Wisconsin is a private, independent, not-for-profit, pediatric medical center whose mission is to be one of the nation's premier pediatric hospitals.

Fact and Figures

• Children's Hospital of Wisconsin is the only hospital in Wisconsin dedicated solely to the care and treatment of children. It also is the only Level I Trauma Center in the region that cares exclusively for children. Children's Hospital serves children with all types of illnesses, injuries, birth defects and other disorders. Care is provided for children from Wisconsin, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, northern Illinois and beyond.
• Children's Hospital of Wisconsin is a private, independent, not-for-profit hospital. It is a major teaching affiliate of the Medical College of Wisconsin and is affiliated with several schools of nursing. Several other pediatric education programs also are associated with the hospital.
• Children's Hospital treats thousands of children each year. During 2006, 22,190 infants, children and adolescents were admitted and 284,276 were seen in the hospital's specialty outpatient clinics. The Emergency Department/Trauma Center treated 60,018 children and 14,177 surgical procedures were performed.
• More than 70 specialty clinics provide outpatient diagnosis and treatment for a wide variety of pediatric disorders. Specialty clinics include cardiology, cleft lip and palate, diabetes, ear, nose and throat, laser, oncology and plastic surgery.
• Children's Hospital is a leader in bone marrow transplants, particularly between unrelated donors and recipients, and in the care of critically ill newborns.
• Several regional centers are based at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. These include the Midwest Children's Cancer Center, the Herma Heart Center, the Wisconsin Poison Center and the Child Protection Center.
• The Infant Death Center of Wisconsin provides information, counseling and support throughout Wisconsin to families whose infants have died suddenly and unexpectedly. The center also educates professionals and the public about grief and works to improve the health status of infants and reduce the number of infant deaths.
• Children's Transport stabilizes critically ill children and brings them to Children's Hospital by helicopter, jet or ambulance. Among the cases brought to the hospital by Children's Transport are accident victims, premature infants, newborns requiring immediate surgery, children who have ingested poison and other critically ill youngsters.