Monday, July 09, 2007
Charlotte, N.C. -- The National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions has accepted the application of Presbyterian Hemby Children's Hospital.
Presbyterian Hemby Children's Hospital becomes one of 213 institutions belonging to the nonprofit association, a collective voice for health systems devoted to the well-being of America's 70 million children and their families, no matter how sick or how poor.
"Participation in NACHRI offers us a vast communications network with people who understand children: their needs, their treatment, and the financing of their care," said Lynn Boggs, COO. "We look forward to bringing our leadership and special insights to the association and joining in the imperative for stronger advocacy on behalf of all children."
Presbyterian Hemby Children's Hospital is a integrated delivery system dedicated to providing the highest quality of care for children in the region. It was admitted as a supporter to NACHRI because its aims and activities fulfill a commitment to the advocacy of children and children's health.
NACHRI is a not-for-profit membership association of children's hospitals, large pediatric units of medical centers and related organizations, including those that specialize in rehabilitative and long-term care of children with serious chronic or congenital illnesses.
"We welcome Presbyterian Hemby Children's Hospital to the family of care givers devoted to improving the health of children, and we look forward to its active involvement," said NACHRI President and CEO Lawrence A. McAndrews. "Because of their focus on children, institutions like Presbyterian Hemby Children's Hospital are able to identify emerging trends and problems associated with the health of children."
Children's hospitals represent approximately 3 percent of all hospitals nationwide, but in 2001, they gave more than 6 million days of inpatient care to more than 1 million children at an annual cost of $11 billion. The average children's hospital sees more than a quarter million children per year on an outpatient basis.
With headquarters on the Virginia side of the Potomac River just across from the nation's capital, NACHRI's primary roles are advocacy for children and children's hospitals, public policy analysis, education for its members and the public and research.
Founded in 1968, NACHRI maintains extensive data on children's health in general and descriptive data on 213 members and the conditions they treat. Some of the issues NACHRI addresses include uninsured children, children dependent on Medicaid, injury prevention, child abuse and neglect, quality of care, patient safety and seriously ill children.
NACHRI is a pioneer in advancing the concept of integrated child health care networks. When fully developed, these networks will make sure that children get the most appropriate and economical health care from experts who are trained at centers of excellence and accountable to the public for children's health and health care.
