About Us

A Brief History of Children’s Hospital

In 1917 Dr. William Tate Graham, Virginia’s first orthopaedic surgeon, opened a free clinic in the basement of his office on East Franklin Street. Here Instructive Visiting Nurses Association (IVNA) nurses brought crippled children, most of whom were victims of the polio epidemic of that era.

By 1920, a group of citizens had organized “a charitable and benevolent” nonprofit corporation under the name of “Crippled Children’s Hospital.” It had no building of its own—only the services of Dr. Graham, the cooperation of the Medical College of Virginia for the use of two wards in Memorial Hospital on Broad Street, and some funds appropriated by the state. In 1928, with the generous $500,000 bequest of Sallie May Dooley, wife of Major James H. Dooley, the hospital on Brook Road was opened and all children who needed the hospital’s services were welcomed through the doors.

Through the years, the hospital continued to grow and by 1980, what began as a free hospital for needy children with orthopaedic problems had developed into a multi-specialty hospital open to all children. In 1982, the hospital changed its name from “Crippled Children’s Hospital” to “Children’s Hospital,” reflecting more accurately the scope of services and treatments available.

In 1997, the Richmond Cerebral Palsy Center, founded in 1938 to provide therapy and skills training to children with disabilities, merged with Children’s Hospital to offer a wider variety of services to children and some adults.

The availability of pediatric therapy services expanded into the community at this time as well, when Children’s Hospital opened community based therapy centers in Glen Allen and Midlothian. These centers offer the same therapy services available at the Main Hospital in locations more convenient for many of the children served.

Children’s Feeding Program opened one year later, providing a behaviorally-based approach to treating children with a variety of feeding and growth problems with a program model that attracts patients from around the country.

During the summer of 1999, in an effort to provide a much-needed service for area children and families, the hospital opened central Virginia’s first Transitional Care Unit (TCU), an inpatient unit that provides specialized care for children with chronic and complex medical needs. The Unit opened with 12 beds and saw its first expansion, to 23 beds, in 2003.

Therapy services continued to expand when Children’s Hospital opened a Therapy Center in Fredericksburg, Virginia in 2003. Located 45 minutes north of the hospital’s main location, the Fredericksburg Therapy Center brought pediatric therapy services to a growing community in need of programs.

In April 2006 Children’s Hospital streamlined its services, choosing to focus on five core program areas - Dental, TCU, Feeding Program, Rehabilitation Therapy and Multi-Specialty (cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy and spasticity) Clinics.

Although still located in its original building on Brook Road, Children’s Hospital has grown over the years, adding new services and refining the programs offered to provide customized pediatric care for those in need. The hospital continues to operate as a private, nonprofit facility providing pediatric specialty services not readily available in the community.

History in the Making

As Children’s Hospital approaches 90 years of serving Richmond’s children the dedication and commitment that began so long ago continues today. In order to continue to improve the level of pediatric specialty care in the community and provide services in the best environment for children, Children’s Hospital has recently completed numerous renovations and expansion projects while others are currently underway.

Below you’ll find updates on recent construction projects as well as updates on the hospital’s $6 million expansion of the TCU.

Dental Program Expansion

TCU Expansion

The information on this site is provided for informational and educational purposes only; it does not contain specific medical advice. If you have specific health questions or problems, consult a health care professional for personal medical advice.