A Magazine from Akron Children's
Akron Children’s started in 1890 as the Akron Day Nursery, where kids stayed while their moms worked. “From those humble beginnings 135 year ago, Akron Children’s has grown to two hospital campuses, eight regional health centers,
and more than 50 primary and specialty care offices,” said Akron Children’s President and CEO Chris Gessner. “Now, we’re northeast Ohio’s only pediatric- focused health system with more than 1.5 million patient encounters a year.”
Let’s take a look back at Akron Children’s historical highlights.
(Top right) On. Oct. 20, 1890, two groups of women that are now known as the Akron Children’s Hospital Women’s Board established a day nursery for children of working women.
(Top left) Ohio had a severe polio outbreak in the 1940s. Akron Children’s became the polio care center of the state – admitting 20% of all polio patients (208) in 1944.
(Bottom left) The Akron Children’s NICU team provides the highest level of care for sick and premature babies.
In the early 1900s, the day nursery collaborated with Akron City Hospital to help sick kids and add hospital rooms. The facility name changed to the Mary Day Nursery and Children’s Hospital. In 1917, the hospital needed more space and separated from the nursery.
Three years later, the hospital hired its first teacher to help patients keep up with their schoolwork during hospitalization. In addition to the commitment to educating patients, Children’s Hospital launched the first residency program for pediatric specialists in Akron in 1927.
From tots to teens, Akron Children’s has expanded services to care for kids of all ages. In 1970, Children’s opened a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). “Today, we collaborate with several outstanding adult hospital systems to run their NICUs and special care nurseries,” Chris explained. “This allows us to expand our reach in providing specialized care for newborns who need it most.”
The 1980s were an important decade for adolescent care. Akron Children’s established the division of
adolescent medicine in 1980. Four years later, the pediatric sports medicine center opened in conjunction with Akron City, Barberton Citizens and
St. Thomas hospitals.
The Air Bear® transport team cares for critically ill and injured children.
In 1956, Children’s initiated its “candy striper” volunteer program for teens. This made Children’s the only pediatric hospital that allowed teen volunteers to have direct patient contact.
“In 1973, Akron Children’s doctors were the first to grow human skin in the lab,” Chris shared. “This breakthrough revolutionized burn care for kids and adults.”
A year later, Akron Children’s began one of the first suture (stitches) programs in the country.
At the request of local adult hospitals in 1978, Akron Children’s opened a burn center to treat all children and adult burn victims in a 17-county area. Akron Children’s is one of only two pediatric hospitals in the U.S. with a burn unit that also treats adults.
Akron Children’s expanded to the skies starting in 2008, as Air Bear® became Ohio’s first pediatric- dedicated medical transport helicopter.
The Women’s Board helped form the Akron Day Nursery in 1890 and continues to support Akron Children’s. Signature fundraising events include the annual Holiday Tree Festival, Celebrate the Plate, the Charity Ball and Children’s Tree of Lights. The Women’s Board gift shop launched in 1956 to raise money for the hospital, an endeavor that is still going strong today.
In 1971, the Akron Children’s Foundation was created to raise funds for the hospital. The Foundation team builds relationships with corporate and individual donors; organizes special events and facilitates third-party fundraisers; and holds an annual year-end giving campaign. In 2024, the Foundation raised $33 million to support patient care.
Since its inception in 2000, the annual KDD “Have a Heart, Do Your Part” event has raised a total of $14.35 million in donations from community members and companies.
The Beachwood Outpatient Surgery Center offers pediatric dentistry, ENT, gastroenterology, orthopedic and urologic surgeries.
“Akron Children’s is not only committed to providing high-quality care – but making it highly accessible and convenient for busy families,” Chris said. “One way we’ve done that is by establishing a network of pediatric primary care offices. We opened the first location in Fairlawn in 1995, and today, we’re over 45 offices and growing.”
In 2008, Children’s opened a second hospital in Boardman to help families in the Mahoning Valley. Since then, campus additions have included a behavioral health center and a new emergency room that increased in size from 9,600 square feet to 34,700.
In 2015, the Kay Jewelers Pavilion opened on the Akron campus. “Kay Jewelers made this beautiful building possible with a $10 million gift the year before,” Chris explained. “It’s the largest donation in the hospital’s history, featuring a new emergency room, outpatient surgery center and neonatal intensive care unit.”
To improve access to pediatric-focused care for Greater Cleveland families, Akron Children’s added services in Beachwood in 2024. The Akron Children’s Health Center offers a variety of specialty services, plus primary care and greater Cleveland’s only pediatric urgent care. An outpatient surgery center is located nearby, along with a primary care office in Mayfield Heights.
“From medical care to facility expansion, a lot has changed about Akron Children’s in our 135-year history. But one thing that remains the same is our commitment to caring for kids,” Chris said. “It’s a privilege to care for each and every family who walks through our doors.”
From inspiring stories, to medical miracles, the More childhood, pleaseTM magazine will make you appreciate those precious 6,574 days of childhood.
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