Nicklaus Children's Hospital

Nicklaus Children's Hospital, located in Miami, Florida, is South Florida's only licensed specialty hospital exclusively dedicated to the care of children from birth through age 21. Founded in 1950 as Variety Children's Hospital and renamed in 2014 in honor of legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus and his wife Barbara, the hospital has served as the pediatric healthcare anchor for the South Florida community and the broader Latin American and Caribbean regions for over seven decades. The hospital operates with 309 beds and a medical staff of approximately 800 attending physicians, including more than 500 pediatric subspecialists who provide expert care across 35 medical specialties and subspecialties. Nicklaus Children's treats patients from across the United States and around the world, with the Global Health program serving more than 3,500 international and local patients annually. The hospital's strategic location in Miami makes it uniquely accessible to families from Latin America, the Caribbean, and other international destinations. Nicklaus Children's cardiology and cardiac surgery program is one of the largest and most comprehensive pediatric heart programs in the southeastern United States. The Heart Institute performs hundreds of cardiac surgeries and catheterizations annually, treating congenital heart defects, acquired heart disease, and heart rhythm disorders in infants, children, and adolescents. The program includes a dedicated fetal cardiology service that enables prenatal diagnosis and planning for babies with heart conditions. The cancer and blood disorders program at Nicklaus Children's provides comprehensive pediatric oncology and hematology services, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, bone marrow transplantation, and access to clinical trials through national cooperative group studies. The neuroscience program addresses epilepsy, brain tumors, neuromuscular disorders, developmental delays, and complex neurological conditions, utilizing advanced neuroimaging, neurophysiology monitoring, and surgical techniques. Orthopedic surgery at Nicklaus Children's specializes in scoliosis correction, sports injuries, limb lengthening and deformity correction, and musculoskeletal conditions unique to growing children. The rehabilitation services program offers comprehensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy to help children recover from injuries, surgeries, and chronic conditions. Nicklaus Children's is ranked number one nationally in Pediatric Behavioral Health, reflecting its exceptional expertise in treating mental health conditions in children and adolescents. The hospital operates the only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center in South Florida, providing the highest level of emergency and critical care for injured children in the region. The Advanced Pediatric Care Pavilion, a 217,000-square-foot, six-story facility, provides state-of-the-art outpatient services including diagnostic imaging, specialty consultations, and ambulatory surgery. The new 127,000-square-foot Surgical Tower, completed in 2024, features cutting-edge operating rooms equipped with augmented reality technology, advanced imaging integration, and enhanced surgical capabilities that position Nicklaus Children's at the forefront of pediatric surgical innovation. Nicklaus Children's has held Magnet designation for nursing excellence since 2003, one of the longest continuous Magnet designations among children's hospitals in the nation. This recognition reflects the hospital's commitment to exceptional nursing practice, evidence-based care, and positive patient outcomes. The hospital maintains academic affiliations with Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and Nova Southeastern University, supporting medical education and research. For international families, the Global Health program at Nicklaus Children's provides comprehensive support including referral evaluation, physician matching, appointment coordination, medical record translation, interpreter services in Spanish, Portuguese, Creole, and other languages, visa assistance, travel and accommodation planning, and dedicated international patient coordinators who guide families through every aspect of their child's care. Nicklaus Children's Hospital's exclusive focus on pediatric care, comprehensive specialty services, advanced surgical technologies, experienced medical staff, and robust international patient program make it an outstanding destination for families seeking world-class children's healthcare in the United States.