Breakthrough Report

An ongoing collection of our most inspiring stories

Emily with Dr. Grupp

Emily Whitehead, First Pediatric Patient to Receive CAR T-Cell Therapy, Celebrates Cure 10 Years Later

Whitehead received life-saving treatment at CHOP, under the care of Dr. Stephan Grupp, transforming the field of cancer immunotherapy.

Example of Policy Lab risk map

COVID-19 Sparks Research Across CHOP

From predicting COVID-19 surges to understanding how it affects asthma, injuries and more, CHOP researchers stepped up to find answers.

Trays of pre-made dinner

Feeding Families

Responding to the rise in food insecurity brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Healthier Together partnered with local nonprofits to bring meals to families.

Madeline Bell

Genetics Driving Future Breakthroughs

CEO Madeline Bell peers into the lab of the future, with a focus on gene therapy, in her podcast, Breaking Through.

Peanut allergy patient Noah

FDA Approves Breakthrough Treatment for Peanut Allergies

The first-of-its-kind treatment can reduce a child's allergic reaction to peanuts.

A Decade Later, Benefits Continue

New findings show significant physical and emotional benefits in school-age children who had prenatal surgery for spina bifida.

Changing Lives Forever

SMA, a devastating neurological disease, has met its match.

CHOP Experts Elected to National Academy of Medicine

The National Academy of Medicine elects two global leaders in cellular and gene therapy from CHOP.

Tiny Tools, Big Results

The Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory is changing the way heart disease is diagnosed and treated in children.

Archives

Redefining What’s Possible

Two extraordinary programs are solving medical mysteries and envisioning the breakthroughs of tomorrow.

Breathing Freely at Home

By investing in home repairs, CHOP and Philadelphia are improving asthma outcomes.

3D Model Saves a Kidney

3D-printed organ models give surgeons new perspectives that allow them to accomplish what previously wasn’t possible

Helping Families Where They Are

CHOP primary care offices partner with Our Closet to give patients’ closets a boost with free clothes.

Tick. Tick. Tick. Defusing the Sepsis Timebomb

Efforts across CHOP search for faster, more accurate ways to diagnose deadly infection.

When Food Is Medicine

Opened in fall 2018, the Food Pharmacy is expected to assist about 250 families each year in its current West Philadelphia location.

CHOP Receives Magnet Designation for Fourth Time

This prestigious designation recognizes organizations that provide the highest-quality care.

CHOP Again Ranked Among the Best, No. 1 in the Mid-Atlantic Region

For the 17th straight year, we’ve been recognized as an elite pediatric hospital by U.S. News & World Report.

Making Tools to Deliver Disease Cures

CHOP and its partners built a new clinical manufacturing facility to produce biotechnology tools that deliver cell and gene therapy for difficult-to-treat diseases.

Digging into Data to Drive Breakthroughs

The new Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, led by Yi Xing, PhD, will analyze large collections of biological data to make discoveries to improve children’s health.

Tackling Concussion

Lessons learned from the pros and CHOP research will inform future prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Giving Hannah Her Voice

Thanks to an experimental airway tumor treatment she received at CHOP, Hannah can talk now with her friends — really talk — because all the tumors are gone.

Pioneers in Hyperinsulinism

CHOP has been on the forefront of understanding and treating this rare condition that creates dangerously low blood sugar.

Fetal Radiologist Honored for Contributions

Fetal imaging expert Beverly G. Coleman, MD, received the Distinguished Service Award from the Society of Radiologists.

Neurosurgeon Hailed as Healthcare Hero

Phillip (Jay) Storm, MD, who launched the Children’s Brain Tumor Tissue Consortium in 2009, was honored for sparking shared research among institutions worldwide.

CHOP’s Innovation Gains National Recognition

Children’s Hospital was named one of the 20 most innovative pediatric hospitals by Parents magazine, which praised our novel treatment for relapsed leukemia.

A Diagnostic Odyssey

Words can’t capture what it means to see Elijah doing so well.

Treating the Whole Child in One Place

Putting behavioral health services in primary care offices makes it easier for families to get their children the treatment they need.

See Advocacy in Action

Because every child deserves access to healthcare.

New Hospital on the Horizon

CHOP will build a freestanding pediatric hospital in King of Prussia, bringing our world-class inpatient care closer to suburban families.

More Breakthroughs Ahead!

Care for children with chronic lung disease, airway disorders and mitochondrial disease get a boost as Frontier Programs.

Innovative Treatment Replaces Major Surgery

Mac, 17, was able to receive a newly developed finger-sized device to fix a leaky heart valve, saving him from an open-heart surgery.

Honoring a Cutting-edge Cancer Investigator

The National Cancer Institute recognized the career-long dedication of John Maris, MD, to solving the mysteries of neuroblastoma.

Immunology’s Highest Award

The Immune Deficiency Foundation recognized Kathleen Sullivan, MD, PhD, with the Boyle Scientific Achievement Award.

Checking in on Formerly Conjoined Twins

Abby and Erin Delaney are thriving months after separation surgery at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Families Key to Breakthroughs

State-of-the-art new buildings are great, but breakthroughs happen because families are willing to allow their children to participate in research.

A Big Breakthrough for Our Tiniest Patients

We’ve reimagined how to improve outcomes for babies born too early.

Making Ben Proud

Douglas Wallace, PhD, is considered the founder of mitochondrial genetics. His groundbreaking research at CHOP earned him two prestigious international awards in 2017.

Awe-inspiring Careers

The American Academy of Pediatrics honored three CHOP doctors with lifetime achievement awards in 2017.

Winston Voted into Academy

The accident-prevention research of Flaura Koplin Winston, MD, PhD, has saved countless lives and earned her election to the National Academy of Medicine.

Historic Campaign to Fuel Tomorrow’s Breakthroughs

CHOP’s ambitious fundraising campaign, For Tomorrow’s Breakthroughs, reflects and enables the Hospital’s relentless drive to improve children’s health.

Our Numbers

With 29,281 inpatient admissions, 1.4 million outpatient visits and more than $645 million in research grants, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is a big place by almost any measure. Learn about our financial summary, hospital statistics and research statistics.