We are seeing children’s health in a new light.

Last year, CHOC Children’s 50th anniversary gave us pause to reflect on our rich history. In five decades, we progressed from an abstract idea to a world-class, premier pediatric health care organization focused on nurturing, advancing and protecting the health and well-being of children. As we leave the celebrations behind us, our 51st year has seen CHOC looking forward, engaged in a bold vision to transform recent advances in research and technology into better care for our patients and families. Without a doubt, we are navigating uncharted territory – from unlocking the secrets of the human genome, to approaching medical treatments in a brand new way, to devoting an unprecedented amount of resources to innovation that most hospitals would only dream to do. In our 2015 Annual Report, you will learn about these pioneering efforts, and how they are changing the way we care for the infants, children, adolescents and young adults of Orange County and beyond. We are seeing children’s health in a new light.

Download a PDF of the annual report

DEAR FRIENDS,

For more than 50 years, CHOC Children’s visionary spirit has driven us to innovate and adapt to both medical advances and economic challenges. Now more than ever, that pioneering spirit is keeping CHOC strong in an industry where the status quo is no longer enough. Our success now depends upon our ability to foster a culture of innovation to take children’s health to new levels.

This past year represents a giant step in this direction. We shined a bright light on the greatest needs in pediatric health and worked hard to address them. From the lack of services for mental illness, to a need for personalized medicine for cancer and rare diseases, to the emotional needs that are often overlooked when treating traumatic injuries, CHOC boldly stepped up to the plate to improve health care delivery.

We are also sparking innovation at CHOC by illuminating new ideas through the Sharon Disney Lund Medical Intelligence Innovations Institute (MI3) and a new collaboration called The Innovation Institute. Taking this initiative one step further, we asked our staff and physicians a bold question they had never been asked before: “How would you profoundly impact the world of pediatric health if you didn’t have constraints of money, time or space?” Physicians, scientists and staff enthusiastically rose to the challenge, presenting close to 40 forward-thinking proposals to the steering committee.

They embraced the unparalleled opportunity to create solutions that are bigger than they or we ever thought possible, and we can only begin to imagine what the future may hold.

Many of these ideas involve research, a vital component of an innovative health care organization determined to find answers to even the most rare diseases. Even more, we continue to be dedicated to knowledge sharing and this year placed CHOC on an international stage, hosting conferences such as NeoHeart: Cardiovascular Management of the Neonate and the Pediatric Innovation Leadership Forum.

With the support of our dedicated Board of Directors, extraordinary medical staff and clinical leaders, associates and generous donors, we are seeing children’s health in a new light. The future is bright at CHOC Children’s!

Kimberly Chavalas Cripe
President and Chief Executive Officer
CHOC Children’s