Ten years ago, a partnership dedicated to delivering exceptional pediatric health care was solidified. With a unique blend of innovation and compassion, our community hospital became Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. This year, we celebrate our achievements and capabilities, as well as the transformative decade that brought us to where we are today.

Founded in 1926 by medical minds and community leaders on an idyllic peninsula in St. Petersburg, the hospital, then the American Legion Hospital for Crippled Children, provided accessible, high-quality care. Nearly 100 years later, the original mission of the hospital remains steadfast as it continues to evolve in partnership with Johns Hopkins Medicine, the renowned Baltimore-based health care institution.

New Dimensions in Community Health Care

The vision that led to the establishment of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in 2011 originated with the All Children’s Hospital Board of Trustees. At its core was the desire to create a true academic medical center focused on clinical care, research and medical education.

“All Children’s Hospital was the first pediatric hospital in Florida,” says Sandra Diamond, former chair of the board of trustees at Johns Hopkins All Children’s. “Slow, steady growth led to the building of a new hospital facility. When that opened in 2010, the board’s focus shifted toward developing a true academic and treatment research facility that would both serve patients and train new physician leaders. It did not take long for decision-makers at All Children’s Hospital and Johns Hopkins Medicine to realize the potential of partnering with one another to reach that goal.”

All Children’s Hospital provided a strong foundation for the Johns Hopkins All Children’s partnership. Primarily serving 17 counties, the hospital used a private practice model that offered a great breadth and depth of subspecialists, as well as a research facility built with the University of South Florida. By partnering with Johns Hopkins Medicine, All Children’s was better positioned to expand the reach of the existing health care delivery system and provide first-class care not only to children in the region, but also nationally and internationally. The partnership also laid the groundwork for a new residency program focused on training the next generation of pediatric medical leadership.

Excellence in Education

Sitting at the helm of Johns Hopkins All Children’s residency program is Akshata Hopkins, M.D., a pediatric hospitalist, Johns Hopkins All Children’s pediatric residency program director and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

“The culture at All Children’s Hospital has always been one of teaching and community outreach delivered by phenomenal leaders and clinicians,” Hopkins says. “That network provided a lot of opportunity to take the pursuit of excellence to the next level. That is where I think the partnership with Johns Hopkins Medicine has been especially valuable.”

Established in 2014, the Pediatric Residency Program prioritizes innovative education tailored to each resident. Hopkins and her colleagues also take care to craft a culture with the hallmarks of diversity, inclusion, health equity, accountability, inquiry and discovery—in a supportive environment that promotes wellness, camaraderie and collaboration.

“We are committed to pushing boundaries and practicing curiosity,” Hopkins says.

Principles into Practice

John Morrison, M.D., Ph.D., pediatric hospitalist and assistant professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins All Children’s, wanted to participate in a residency program that would cultivate his career goals with individualized training while also supporting his research interests.

“Johns Hopkins All Children’s was a new residency program at the time I enrolled,” Morrison says. “They designed an innovative curriculum that served as an introduction to the growing research resources at the hospital. I worked so closely with established investigators that I came to consider them my mentors. This level of support for residents was unheard of in other programs.”

Upon completion of his residency, Morrison launched his career as a pediatric hospitalist at Johns Hopkins All Children’s, where he also serves as a junior faculty member. In addition, he is committed to pursuing research focused on children with surgically placed breathing tubes and is working to develop biomarkers for acute respiratory illness.

“The scope of the clinical and translational research performed here is rapidly expanding, and those efforts result in better patient care,” Morrison says. “With success comes the need to continue to grow and strive to improve care for all children. Our academic journey is far from over. The most exciting part of where we are now is considering the discoveries yet to come.”

Delivering Innovation

The Research and Education Building at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital is a true hub of advancements in pediatric medicine. The 230,000-square-foot building is the realization of a visionary goal to transform pediatric medicine worldwide. The building houses the hospital’s Center for Medical Simulation and Innovative Education, an extensive pediatric biorepository, research labs and graduate medical education programs.

“The Research and Education Building brings all investigators under one roof, making it easier to work together on developing a new treatment for children, helping that treatment actually reach a patient, and, in the case of the Center for Medical Simulation and Innovative Education, learning how to best deliver these medical innovations,” Morrison says. “As our success grows, so does the opportunity for the Research and Education Building and its tenants to become a resource for other institutions nationwide.”

Contact Ashley Nall, assistant director of program major gifts, at 727-767-2958 or [email protected], to support academic transformation at Johns Hopkins All Children’s.