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| Name |
Franciscan Hospital for Children |
| Address |
30 Warren Street |
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| Town |
Boston |
| State |
Massachusetts |
| Country |
USA |
| Post Code |
02135 |
| Phone |
617 254 3800 |
| Fax |
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| Email |
info@fchrc.org |
| Website |
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Specialization Of Franciscan Hospital for Children
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About Franciscan Hospital for Children
** About Us **
Since 1949, Franciscan Hospital for Children has pioneered clinical, therapeutic and educational programs for children with a variety of disabilities. Through the years, as one of the nation's largest pediatric rehabilitation hospitals, we have expanded our complement of programs and services for children with special health care needs, as well as for children from the local community. Our continuum of care includes inpatient, residential, educational, surgical, outpatient and home care programs, a combination of services for children that is hard to find anywhere else.
At Franciscan Hospital for Children, we promote the integrity and well being of children and their caregivers through our quality of care. This allows each child the opportunity to achieve the maximum potential in an atmosphere of respect, compassion and dignity.
** Our Mission **
At Franciscan Hospital for Children, our mission is to provide compassionate care and education to children with special health care needs and to help them reach their full potential.
** Our Vision **
To create a pediatric center for children with special needs, that is a nationally and internationally recognized model, leader and advocate of care, that offers the best possible outcome for children with special health care needs.
** Our Values **
* Compassion: We believe that those in need of our services deserve our esteem,
gentle kindness and loving care.
* Health: We believe that health is holistic. It includes the physical,
emotional, educational and spiritual needs of the child and family.
* Integrity: We believe that the needs of those we serve are our first
priority. We adhere to ethical principles in all aspects of our practice.
* Laughter: We believe that joy and good humor create a healing environment.
* Dignity: We believe in the God - given dignity of every human being.
* Respect: We support a culture which promotes respect for those we serve, our
Staff, and our community.
* Excellence: We believe in and strive for excellence in our commitment to care
for children.
* Networking: We believe that we are called to collaborate among ourselves and
with others to assure a quality continuum of care for children.
Excellence: We believe in and strive for excellence in our commitment to care for children.
Networking: We believe that we are called to collaborate among ourselves and with others to assure a quality continuum of care for children.
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History Of Franciscan Hospital for Children
** History **
In 1939, Father Richard J. Cushing became Auxiliary Bishop of Boston. One of his strongest visions was to build a hospital for physically disabled children regardless of race, religion, or ability to pay.
He soon joined forces with the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, an nternational order of Sisters dedicated to helping people in need.
Next, the Cardinal approached his friend, Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy, to finance the project. He and his wife, Rose, heard the Cardinal’s plea and made an incredible $600,000 donation to fund the new Hospital.
With the help of many benefactors and friends, the Cardinal’s dream was realized and a new venture to provide the highest quality of care to children with special needs was launched. The Hospital was named the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Memorial Hospital, in honor of Joe Kennedy Jr., who was killed in action during World War II. The Hospital was opened on September 8, 1949 with more than 4,000 visitors joining in the celebration!
In the early years, forty Sisters who lived at the Hospital became nurses, physical therapists, pharmacists, and childcare specialists. They also managed the admissions and finance. With their commitment, personalized care for children and families became the hallmark of the Hospital’s tradition of care.
The dedicated Franciscan Missionaries of Mary provided round-the-clock care and worked tirelessly to help each child reach his or her full physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual potential.
In the 1950s, the Hospital provided care and treatment for children with Down’s Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy, and worked aggressively to provide care to children suffering from the Polio epidemic. Medical services for children with a variety of disabilities were created. Outpatient services began, and a Department of Social Work Services was added.
A new building, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, was constructed to help meet the needs of an expanding population. Affiliations with area universities began. As the Hospital’s reputation spread far and wide, so too did its list of friends. Lou & Lutza Smith, dear friends of Cardinal Cushing, became part of the Hospital’s family, providing financial support and countless parties & entertainment events for the children.
Responding to the changing demands in health care in the 1960’s, the Hospital’s philosophy evolved from providing convalescent care to providing care that facilitated a child’s return to home and the community.
A complement of licensed services, such as psychology and pediatrics, were added so that children both inside and outside of the Hospital would have their rehabilitative, medical, and educational needs met under one roof. In 1961, the Hospital’s first surgical suite opened in a new pavilion, named after Lou and Lutza Smith. Evolving through the years, these services have grown to become a state-of-the-art surgical complex for ambulatory surgery.
In 1963, a portion of the Hospital was converted to classrooms to meet the educational needs of children with physical disabilities, many of whom were patients in the hospital. The Kennedy Day School quickly became a unique educational facility for children with complex developmental and physical disabilities.
With the help of an interdisciplinary team and creative learning exercises, including music and computer technology, children learned to maximize their potential and become as independent as possible. Today, seventy children with complex physical and cognitive disabilities attend school on the Hospital’s campus.
In 1967, the Hospital opened its pediatric dental clinic in partnership with Boston University’s Goldman School of Dental Medicine, providing high quality pediatric dental care and specializing in the care of children and adults with special needs.
In the 1970’s, the Hospital continued to provide care within the restrictions of new financial challenges brought on by double-digit inflation and tightened reimbursement for services. Relying on the inspiration of its children, the strategic efforts of administration and staff led not only to the continuation but the broadening of its mission.
The Cushing Pavilion, a three story wing, was built in 1974 providing much needed space for rehabilitative, pediatric and surgical patients, as well as a wide range of therapeutic programs.
The Hospital expanded on its mission with an array of behavioral health care programs that included Cognitive Behavioral programs and a four-day evaluation program.
By the end of the 70s, sixty percent of the children served were coping with learning, emotional or developmental challenges rather than more readily apparent physical disabilities, reflecting significant growth in the Hospital’s continuum of services.
In the 1980s, the Hospital reorganized and consolidated its services, resulting in an increased capacity to serve more children. The Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program, an innovative program for ventilator dependent infants and children, was undertaken with the cooperation of all the major medical centers in New England. Growing rapidly from its first days with one ventilator dependent child, the program now cares for 20 children on a daily basis, making it a unique program in New England.
The Pediatric Rehabilitation Program for children who experience a traumatic injury or illness grew tremendously during this time as well. Today, under the direction of a Pediatric Physiatrist, an interdisciplinary team provides an integrated program of medical and rehabilitative care for each child and family.
The Hospital entered the 1990s with a new name – Franciscan Children’s Hospital & Rehabilitation Center. Remaining eternally grateful to the Kennedy family for their commitment and generosity through the years, the Hospital’s memorial to Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. is maintained through The Kennedy Day School. Several years later, the name was shortened to Franciscan Hospital for Children.
In partnership with McLean Hospital, a national leader in behavioral health care, inpatient and residential psychiatric programs for children and adolescents were added in 1997. Early interventional services were started in 1998 in conjunction with the New England Home for Little Wanderers, another leader in behavioral health care. An expansion in Pediatrics has coincided with specialized outpatient clinics such as Developmental Pediatrics, Orthopedics and Neurology.
Home care and the Hyman Novack Medical Day Care have also broadened the Hospital’s commitment to providing community based care. Pediatric resources extend into the community through partnerships with public and private schools.
A number of renovations to the Franciscan Hospital for Children campus have been made in the last ten years to improve the treatment and education experience of children including newly remodeled recreation rooms, playrooms, waiting areas and outdoor playspaces. A therapeutic pool was constructed so children could benefit from Aquatic Therapy.
In 2008, the Center for Motion Analysis, a state of the art lab using technology that allows clinicians to understand how a child moves while walking opened in the Physical Therapy department.
Earlier this year, the Inpatient Mental Health program was expanded by another twelve beds to serve the growing demand for Mental Health services for children and adolescents.
In May of 2010, we broke ground on an expanded Kennedy Day School. The new 20,000 sq. foot building, expected to open late 2011, will provide larger classrooms, wider hallways, additional therapy space, a new library, and additional technology opportunities.
To help fund renovations of the existing Kennedy Day School and purchase the specialized equipment and adaptive technology our children need, the New Balance Foundation has issued us a challenge – for every dollar we raise for Kennedy Day School project in 2011, New Balance Foundation will give us a dollar to renovate the old building – up to $500,000!
Though our programs may change, expand and evolve through the years, the one thing that remains constant is our mission to provide compassionate care and education to children helping each reach his or her full potential.
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