Clinical services that set Children’s apart include innovations in the neurosciences, cardiac care, transplantation, rare disease therapy, and ophthalmology.

Brain Care Institute

At the Brain Care Institute (BCI), innovative medical and surgical treatment options are available to help patients afflicted with neurological disorders. The BCI brings together several pediatric specialties, including: neurology, neurosurgery, neuro-critical care, and neuro-oncology – a unique combination of international specialists all dedicated to the care of children with injuries or conditions related to the brain and spinal cord.

Hope in every heartbeat

The Heart Institute is one of the most active and innovative centers for the care of children who are born with or who acquire heart problems. It ranks as the top pediatric cardiovascular surgery program in the United States. The Heart Institute is tied with one other institution on having the lowest overall four-year surgical mortality rate among all high-volume programs with a rate of 1.5%, according to the latest data compiled by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (2011-2015). Nationally, the average mortality rate for all pediatric cardiovascular programs was 3.4% during the same reporting period.

First in pediatric transplantation

Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh established the world’s first and largest pediatric transplantation center in 1981 under renowned transplant pioneer Thomas E. Starzl, MD, PhD. Children’s has been at the forefront of pediatric transplantation for over 35 years. The Hillman Center for Pediatric Transplantation has:

• Performed more transplants in children than any other facility
• Patient survival rates that are among the world’s best
• Transplant specialties that include liver, intestine, kidney, heart, lung, and blood and bone marrow
• Performed more than 330 liver transplants for metabolic disease, which is more than any other center, including adult facilities. It is also the leader in pediatric living-donor liver transplants for metabolic disease, which eliminates wait times for a deceased donor and can provide excellent outcomes.

Novel rare disease therapy

The Center for Rare Disease Therapy consists of a multidisciplinary team of international experts who are focused on treating children with rare diseases, defined by leading standards of care, pioneering protocols, and individualized services.

World-class Ophthalmology care

Children’s Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Strabismus, and Adult Motility is led by one of the world’s foremost pediatric eye specialists, Ken K. Nischal, MD, FRCOphth. As part of the UPMC Eye Center, it combines best practices and interdisciplinary collaboration to deliver exceptional care for visually impaired patients – from infants to adults.

Groundbreaking research

Children’s Hospital has a rich heritage in pediatric research and today is recognized as one of the fastest growing National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded pediatric research programs in the U.S. In Fiscal Year 2015, pediatric research programs at Children’s Hospital and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine ranked 10th in funding dollars from the National Institutes of Health.  

Experts in Telemedicine

Children’s Hospital is a leading center for the use of telemedicine services to bring pediatric specialists to hospitals worldwide through state-of-the-art technology. Children’s offers remote physician-to-physician consultation of critical care units to hospitals around the world in need of pediatric intensivists. Children’s provides telemedicine consultative services with pediatric cardiac critical care units in various cities in Colombia and post-operative management of pediatric liver transplant patients in Palermo, Italy.

International Services

Children’s International Services team is available to assist physicians, parents, health ministries, and embassies around the world who are seeking leading-edge clinical services, consultation, education and training, and more. International liaisons are fluent in multiple languages including Arabic and Spanish, to ensure proficient communication. The team also provides a wide range of services including assistance with housing, transportation, administration, translation, financial counselling and religious and cultural matters.

For more information, visit www.chp.edu or contact the International Services team at +1-412-692-3000 or [email protected].