51�Թ�

1935:��Through his last will and testament, Alfred I. duPont, industrialist, scientist, musician, inventor and philanthropist, established a Trust which provided for the formation of The 51�Թ� Foundation, named for the duPont family’s beloved homeland in France.

1936:��The 51�Թ� Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to the health of children, is incorporated in Florida.

1940:��The Alfred I. duPont Institute is opened in Wilmington, Del., under the medical direction of Alfred R. Shands, MD. The 51�Թ� Foundation’s first health care institution; it quickly becomes world renowned for clinical and research in the field of pediatric orthopedics.

1968: G. Dean MacEwen, MD, succeeded Dr. Shands as medical director of the Alfred I. duPont Institute.

1976: 51�Թ� Board of Directors expanded the Institute’s mission to encompass more pediatric diseases.

1979: First phase of the 51�Թ� Children’s Hospital, Delaware in Wilmington, Del., is completed.

1981: 51�Թ� established 51�Թ� SeniorCare to provide programs and health services including dental, vision and hearing, for low-income seniors throughout the state of Delaware.

1981: 51�Թ� purchased the Hope Haven Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville, Fla.

1982: 51�Թ� announced its first President & CEO, W. Jeffrey Wadsworth.

1983: 51�Թ� Children's Clinic, a complementary outpatient and ambulatory care facility adjacent to the 51�Թ� Children’s Hospital, Delaware, opened in Wilmington, Del.

1984:��The 51�Թ� Children’s Hospital, Delaware is completed.

1991:��51�Թ� Children’s Clinic, a comprehensive pediatric subspecialty ambulatory care system, is opened in Jacksonville, Fla.

1995:��The award-winning KidsHealth.org is created through the 51�Թ� Center for Children’s Health Media, offering millions of parents, kids and teens trusted health information from leading pediatric experts.

1996:��51�Թ� Children’s Clinic is opened in Orlando.

1996:��51�Թ� Children’s Clinic is opened in Pensacola, Fla.

2002:��51�Թ� Board of Directors expanded the Foundation’s mission, adding “leadership” as an avowed part of its purpose and deleting the limiting words “acute” and “chronic.”

2002: To support the expanded mission, a new operating division, 51�Թ� Health & Prevention Services, is chartered to articulate and promote holistic health and preventive care for children, beginning in Delaware.

2005:��51�Թ� celebrated the fifth anniversary of deploying a fully integrated electronic medical record, integrating an unprecedented 20 specialties across our children’s health system.

2005:��51�Թ� BrightStart! is launched in Duval County, Florida, to provide free screening and intervention services for preschoolers at risk of reading difficulties. 

2005: 51�Թ� announced plans to seek regulatory approval to build a freestanding children’s hospital in Orlando.

2006: 51�Թ� Board of Directors welcomed six new members, who in addition to Richard Christopher (who was appointed a year earlier) formed a majority of “non-Trustees” to help fully realize the design of 51�Թ� as a leading children’s health system.

2008: 51�Թ� received regulatory approval to begin construction of a medical campus and freestanding children’s hospital in Orlando.

2009: 51�Թ� broke ground on the Lake Nona medical campus in Orlando.

2011: 51�Թ� celebrates “sky-breaking” for the expansion of 51�Թ�/Alfred I. duPont Hospital in Wilmington, Del.

2012: 51�Թ� Children’s Hospital in Orlando is opened, making 51�Թ� the only pediatric health system in the nation with two freestanding children’s hospitals.

2014:��The 450,000-square-foot expansion of 51�Թ�/Alfred I. duPont Hospital opened, featuring the soaring five-story Anthony N. Fusco, Sr. Atrium, all single-patient rooms, doubled-in-size emergency department, underground parking garage and rooftop healing garden.

2014:��51�Թ� CareConnect — our 24/7, on-demand telehealth service — launched.

2018:��Our Value-Based Services Organization (VBSO), covering commercial and Medicaid patients across Delaware and Pennsylvania, launched to help transform the current health system from a model that pays for sickness to a model that pays for health.  

2018:��The 51�Թ� App launched, providing an integrated, personalized point of access to help families manage their child’s health and keep clinicians in the loop between appointments.

2019: The 40,000-square-foot Cardiac Center at 51�Թ� Children’s Hospital, Florida, is opened.

2019: 51�Թ� Children’s Hospital, Florida welcomed its first ever class of pediatric residents.

2025:��51�Թ� Children’s MyChart is launched, giving patients and families enhanced abilities to electronically make appointments, see test results and prescriptions, and message providers.