Children's joins NACHRI

The Montreal Children's Hospital of the MUHC is proud to announce it has been accepted as Quebec's first institutional member of the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI). The Children's becomes one of 192 members and supporters of the non-profit association and Quebec's first voting member. NACHRI is an organization of children's hospitals with members in the United States, Australia, Canada, Italy, Mexico and Puerto Rico. NACHRI is a collective voice for health systems devoted to the well-being of children and their families.

"Participation in NACHRI offers us a vast communications network with people who understand children: their needs and their treatment," says Dr. Linda Christmann, Associate Executive Director of the Children's. "We look forward to bringing our leadership and special insights to the association, participating in comparative benchmarking programs, and joining in the imperative for stronger advocacy on behalf of all children."

The Montreal Children's Hospital is the pediatric teaching hospital of the McGill University Health Centre. This institution is a leader in the care and treatment of sick infants, children and adolescents from across Quebec. It was admitted to the association as a full institutional member, joining the foremost children's hospitals in the United States and Canada, plus several others from abroad.

NACHRI is a non-profit membership association of children's hospitals, large pediatric units of medical centres and related organizations, including those that specialize in rehabilitative and long-term care of children with serious chronic or congenital illnesses.

"We welcome the Montreal Children's Hospital of the MUHC to the family of care givers devoted to improving the health of children, and we look forward to its active involvement," said NACHRI President and CEO Lawrence A. McAndrews.

"Because of their singular focus on children, hospitals like the Children's are able to identify emerging trends and problems associated with the health of children and to develop treatment programs drawing on the expertise of pediatric researchers and practitioners."

With headquarters in Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC, NACHRI's primary roles are advocacy for children and children's hospitals, public policy analysis, comparative benchmarking activities, education for its members and the public, and research.

Founded in 1968, NACHRI maintains extensive data on children's health in general and descriptive data on 192 members and the conditions they treat. Some of the issues NACHRI addresses include injury prevention, child abuse and neglect, quality of care, patient safety and seriously ill children.

NACHRI is a pioneer in advancing the concept of integrated child health care networks. When fully developed, these networks will make sure children get the most appropriate and economical health care from experts who are trained at centres of excellence and accountable to the public for children's health and health care.