Dear Friends,

In this annual report you will find many extraordinary accomplishments at the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital over 2022, a challenging year for children’s hospitals and, indeed, for every healthcare organization. We hope this report communicates the dedication that each member of Comer Children’s has provided this year to the communities we serve — on the South Side of Chicago, across our region and further afield — that rely on us for groundbreaking quaternary care. 

We have recruited outstanding faculty, nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, and specialists across the many disciplines that support the care of children. These successes allowed us to remain nimble during the challenging respiratory surge last fall, and to expand the breadth and depth of our subspecialty services.

We are excited about the Chicagoland Children’s Health Alliance, our collaboration with Advocate Children’s Hospital and NorthShore University HealthSystem. In 2022, Neurosciences and Gastroenterology joined our highly successful joint programs in General Surgery, Cardiovascular Services and Cancer. This mutually beneficial integrated network has provided access for families across the region to innovative care, including groundbreaking approaches to epilepsy surgery, novel cellular therapies for sickle cell disease and cardiac defects, and unique access to clinical trials.

Our physician-scientists and researchers have been recognized with numerous national honors and significant increases in federal and foundational funding. Our commitment to translational pediatric research has resulted in key advances in our understanding of environmental and genetic factors in the development of premature neonates, improved pediatric cancer outcomes, and insight of key mechanisms underpinning cardiac development.

Educating medical students, pediatricians, nurses and other healthcare professionals is an integral component of our mission. We are committed to not only identifying and training the best of the best, but also graduating classes that reflect our community and its values. Indeed, our 2022 medical student and trainee graduates are now providing outstanding care at Comer Children’s and across the nation.

Comer Children’s starts 2023 as a strong, vibrant institution that lives the values of the University of Chicago and our community. We are confident that you will enjoy learning more about us in this report that demonstrates our commitment to each child and their family.