Your Child's Safety First. Always.

Once again, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital has been named among the top 50 children’s hospitals in the nation for Orthopedics and Cardiology and Heart Surgery, in the 2021-22 Best Children’s Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. The hospital is ranked #5 in Florida and as Florida’s Best Children’s Hospital for Orthopedics, based on patient outcomes, clinical capabilities and utilization of best practices for the care of children.

“It is an honor for Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital to be recognized among the top children’s hospitals in the nation, once again. We are thrilled,” said Caitlin Stella, MPH, chief executive officer, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and administrator for Pediatric Services, Memorial Healthcare System. “This has been an extraordinary year in so many ways and our achievements in Orthopedics and Cardiology and Heart Surgery are a true reflection of our team’s unwavering commitment to providing the safest and highest quality care for children. We continue to adapt and grow our services based on the needs of families and children in our community, and further our commitment to excellence in an environment that embraces patient- and family-centered care. When kids want to stay in the hospital, I would say that is a good review.”

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Orthopedic Center has the largest group of fellowship trained pediatric orthopedic surgeons in the state of Florida, and one of the most well regarded in the country, providing world class care and expertise for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions and sports-related injures affecting children, adolescents and young adults.

Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Pediatric Heart Institute is one of only three programs in Florida offering comprehensive heart care, including congenital heart disease and heart transplantation. Over the past decade, its cardiac transplant program has become one of the most active pediatric heart transplant programs in the state and offers services to children with serious heart conditions from fetal evaluations throughout childhood and into adulthood. The team’s expertise spans across multiple disciplines, including congenital heart care, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, critical care and mechanical circulatory support. Additionally, during the pandemic, the Heart Institute spearheaded a multi-disciplinary team to treat children experiencing MIS-C, an inflammatory illness associated with COVID-19.

“When choosing a hospital for a sick child, many parents want specialized expertise, convenience and caring medical professionals,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News. “The Best Children's Hospitals rankings have always highlighted hospitals that excel in specialized care. As the pandemic continues to affect travel, finding high-quality care close to home has never been more important.”

U.S. News 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 ratings, according to the publication, are a comprehensive source of quality-related information on U.S. pediatric hospitals and rely on clinical data and on an annual survey of pediatric specialists.

The 2019-20 rankings started with 4,653 hospitals, which represent virtually all U.S. community inpatient facilities. The rankings methodology considers clinical outcomes, such as mortality and infection rates, efficiency and coordination of care delivery and compliance with best practices.

Kyle’s epilepsy was not responding to medication.

“It was scary. He kept on getting more and more seizures,” said his mom, Anna.

When he and his family came to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital for help, doctors discovered abnormal tissue on Kyle’s brain. After careful monitoring and evaluation, the care team determined that Kyle was a good candidate for neurosurgery.

“We were able to remove that abnormal tissue and find where his seizures were coming from around that area,” said Syndi Seinfeld, DO, Medical Director, Epilepsy at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.

His recovery was remarkable, with no complications.

“Now, almost a year out from that surgery, he has not had seizures and we’re starting to decrease his medicines,” said Daxa Patel, MD, Medical Director, Surgical Epilepsy.

Kyle wanted to be like other kids and do the things kids enjoy. Today, he can. “He’s doing fabulous,” his mom said.

Terique was unusually exhausted after football practices. He’d even fall asleep in his uniform.

“His chest was hurting. He had shortness of breath,” said his mom, Carrie.

Pediatric cardiology specialists at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital determined Terique had myocarditis and his heart was failing.

“I was scared. I wanted to live life, but I can’t because I have a bad heart,” Terique said.

He was in and out of the hospital with recurrent episodes until the day his heart stopped beating.

“He sustained a lot of damage to the heart muscle, so he ended up getting listed for heart transplantation,” said Laura D’Addese, MD, Pediatric Cardiologist.

The family got the call — they had a heart for Terique! — just four days before his mom’s birthday. It was a gift, and the surgery was a great success.

“Today I feel better than ever,” Terique said. “It’s a blessing.”