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Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is the nation's first hospital devoted exclusively to the care of children. Since our start in 1855, CHOP has been the birthplace for countless breakthroughs and dramatic firsts in pediatric medicine. Built on a foundation of delivering safe, high-quality, family-centered care, the Hospital has fostered medical discoveries and innovations that have improved pediatric healthcare and saved countless children’s lives. Today, families facing complex conditions come to CHOP from all over the world, and our compassionate care and innovation have repeatedly earned us a spot on the U.S. News & World Report's Honor Roll of the nation's best children's hospitals. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 by Francis West Lewis, MD. After visiting the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children in London, Dr. Lewis decided to create the first hospital in the United States dedicated to finding cures and treating illnesses and injuries specific to children. He persuaded two friends — T. Hewson Bache, MD, and R.A.F. Penrose, MD — to join him in the venture. In the Hospital's first year, it had 12 beds and a dispensary. Physicians served 67 inpatients and 306 clinic patients. Today, Children’s Hospital has 564 beds and more than 1 million outpatient visits and inpatient admissions each year. The Hospital has also moved three times since first opening its doors in downtown Philadelphia. On June 23, 1974, we moved all of our equipment and patients to our current location in West Philadelphia, at 3401 Civic Center Boulevard.