(WILMINGTON, Del. – March 31, 2026)

ChristianaCare and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) will launch their strategic pediatric affiliation on April 1, expanding access to world-class specialized care for children across Delaware and the surrounding region. The collaboration, announced last year, will bring CHOP’s renowned expertise to Delaware and surrounding communities. It will integrate CHOP’s specialized services with ChristianaCare’s network, creating new access to advanced pediatric treatments for Delaware families and reducing the need for families to travel long distances for care.

A New Era for Pediatric Care in the Region

“This is a defining moment for the future of pediatric care in Delaware,” said Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH, president and CEO of ChristianaCare. “Through our affiliation with CHOP, we are combining strength with strength to deliver world class pediatric subspecialty care right here in our community. This partnership is an important step forward to ensure that every child and every family have access to the exceptional care they deserve—when and where they need it.”

“Delivering seamless, family-centered care is part of our mission at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,” said CHOP CEO Madeline Bell. “ChristianaCare is a trusted and innovative health system, and this affiliation reflects our shared commitment to redefining what’s possible in pediatric medicine. We’re excited to begin this next chapter and expand access to exceptional care for children throughout the region.”

“Our teams at ChristianaCare and CHOP have been preparing for this moment with great excitement,” said Megan Mickley, M.D., MBA, chair of Pediatrics at ChristianaCare. “This collaboration represents an important step in our pediatric care delivery evolution. By aligning our teams’ capabilities, we are creating new opportunities to innovate and continuously advance the care we provide for children and families, both today and into the future.”

What Launch Day Means for Families and Future Growth

Beginning April 1, the affiliation will activate at the state-of-the-art Center for Women’s & Children’s Health at ChristianaCare’s Newark campus, where pediatric emergency and inpatient care are delivered, with pediatric and neonatal services supported by CHOP specialists. This includes ChristianaCare’s 24/7 Pediatric Care Center and Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at its Newark Campus, which provides round-the-clock emergency care in a kid-friendly environment.

Following the launch, ChristianaCare and CHOP will continue to:

• Expand subspecialty access in rare and complex diseases and a wide range of newborn and pediatric services.
• Pursue new educational and research opportunities.
• Explore further opportunities to expand more services in pediatric care and strengthen health care delivery and innovation in the region.

Media Contacts:

Natalie Solimeo
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Solimeon@chop.edu
856-261-8090

Arshon Howard
ChristianaCare
arshon.howard@ChristianaCare.org 
302-465-0210

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About ChristianaCare

Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, ChristianaCare is one of the country’s most dynamic health care organizations, centered on improving health outcomes, and innovating to make high-quality care more accessible, equitable and affordable. ChristianaCare includes an extensive network of primary care and outpatient services, home health care, urgent care centers, four hospitals (1,440 beds), a freestanding emergency department, a Level I trauma center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a comprehensive stroke center and regional centers of excellence in heart and vascular care, cancer care and women’s health. It also includes the pioneering Gene Editing Institute and a 10-bed neighborhood hospital in West Grove, PA.

ChristianaCare is nationally recognized as a great place to work. ChristianaCare is rated by Newsweek as one of the World’s Best Hospitals and is continually ranked among the best in the U.S. in national quality and safety ratings. ChristianaCare is a nonprofit teaching health system with more than 260 residents and fellows. With its groundbreaking Center for Virtual Health and a focus on population health and value-based care, ChristianaCare is shaping the future of health care.

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