Wilmington, Del.-based ChristianaCare and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have shared plans to affiliate to expand pediatric care.
The collaboration is expected to kick off in spring 2026. The goal is to enhance specialized pediatric care access by bringing CHOP’s skills to the communities that ChristianaCare serves in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, according to a July 8 news release shared with Becker’s.
“By integrating CHOP’s services with ChristianaCare’s established network, the collaboration will improve care delivery, making advanced pediatric treatments more accessible and reducing the need for families to travel long distances for care,” the release said.
All of ChristianaCare’s hospitals and locations where pediatric emergency and inpatient care is provided will be part of the affiliation. It will focus on pediatric and neonatal services initially. CHOP’s newborn and pediatric services like cardiology, genetics, neurology, ophthalmology and radiology will be provided to ChristianaCare patients.
The collaboration aims to explore additional opportunities to expand pediatric care as it grows.
Jacksonville, Fla.-based Nemours Children’s Health, which operates facilities in Delaware and expressed a desire to partner with ChristianaCare, addressed ChristianaCare’s affiliation with CHOP in a July 9 news release. The health system also has care locations in Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, according to its website.
“While we had hoped to collaborate more closely with ChristianaCare, we respect its decision to engage an out-of-state provider,” the release said. “Our commitment to Delaware’s children and families remains steadfast. For nearly a century, Nemours Children’s has delivered world-class pediatric care that is both deeply rooted in the community and uniquely tailored to the needs of Delawareans.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated on July 10 at 11:58 a.m. CT.
