Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
Encyclopedia
Alfred I. du Pont Hospital for Children is a pediatric hospital located in Wilmington, Delaware
. It is controlled by the Nemours Foundation
, a non-profit organization created by philanthropist Alfred I. du Pont
in 1936 and dedicated to improving the health of children. It is also referred to as the A. I. duPont Institute for Crippled Children or more simply, the DuPont Institute.
bestowed an estate valued at $40 million for the creation of a charitable corporation devoted primarily to providing health care services to children. The resulting Nemours Foundation
was charged with the preservation and public enjoyment of the Nemours Mansion and Gardens
in Wilmington, the care and treatment of disabled children and the care of low-income seniors throughout the state of Delaware. Nemours has grown to be one of the nation’s largest children’s health systems caring for more than a quarter of a million children each year. The hospital is part of the DuPont legacy and is located on the DuPont Historic Corridor
.
Through his last will and testament, Alfred I. DuPont established a trust composed of his holdings in E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company which provided for the formation of The Nemours Foundation
, named for the duPont family’s home in France. The Nemours Foundation was incorporated in Florida in 1936. In 1940, the original Alfred I. duPont Institute was opened in Wilmington, and it quickly became world renowned for its clinical and research excellence in the field of pediatric orthopedics. It wasn’t until 1976 that the Nemours Board of Directors expanded the Institute’s mission to encompass more pediatric diseases. The first phase of the new Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children was completed in 1979. Outpatient and ambulatory care was provided at the adjacent Nemours Children’s Clinic. The current hospital was completed in 1984. It was named one of the nation’s best children’s hospitals by Parents Magazine in 2009.
The Institute is academically affiliated with both the University of Delaware
and Thomas Jefferson University
in nearby Philadelphia, and the residency program is handled through Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
The Nemours foundation is the sole beneficiary of the A.I. duPont Testamentary Trust which was valued at $3.4 billion in 2009.
and the site also houses the Nemours Mansion and Gardens
. The facility provides Level II Pediatric Trauma and Emergency Care in addition to Fast Track Urgent Care. The Ronald McDonald House of Delaware located adjacent to the hospital provides sleep rooms and showers for the parents and families of children receiving treatment.
In 2011, the Nemours Foundation announced a $212 million expansion that would increase the size of the Emergency Department and number of inpatient beds. The construction is expected to be complete in 2014.
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
. It is controlled by the Nemours Foundation
Nemours Foundation
The Nemours Foundation is a non-profit organization in Jacksonville, Florida, created by philanthropist Alfred I. du Pont in 1936, and dedicated to improving the health of children. The Foundation operates the Alfred I...
, a non-profit organization created by philanthropist Alfred I. du Pont
Alfred I. du Pont
Alfred Irénée du Pont was an American industrialist, financier and philanthropist. A member of the influential Du Pont family, Alfred du Pont first rose to prominence through his work in his family's Delaware-based gunpowder manufacturing plant, E. I...
in 1936 and dedicated to improving the health of children. It is also referred to as the A. I. duPont Institute for Crippled Children or more simply, the DuPont Institute.
History
With the words, “It has been my firm conviction throughout life that it is the duty of everyone in the world to do what is within his power to alleviate human suffering,” Alfred I. du PontAlfred I. du Pont
Alfred Irénée du Pont was an American industrialist, financier and philanthropist. A member of the influential Du Pont family, Alfred du Pont first rose to prominence through his work in his family's Delaware-based gunpowder manufacturing plant, E. I...
bestowed an estate valued at $40 million for the creation of a charitable corporation devoted primarily to providing health care services to children. The resulting Nemours Foundation
Nemours Foundation
The Nemours Foundation is a non-profit organization in Jacksonville, Florida, created by philanthropist Alfred I. du Pont in 1936, and dedicated to improving the health of children. The Foundation operates the Alfred I...
was charged with the preservation and public enjoyment of the Nemours Mansion and Gardens
Nemours Mansion and Gardens
The Nemours Mansion and Gardens is a country estate with jardin à la française formal gardens and a classical French mansion located in Wilmington, Delaware. The mansion resembles a Château and contains more than seventy rooms spread over five floors occupying nearly . It shares the grounds with...
in Wilmington, the care and treatment of disabled children and the care of low-income seniors throughout the state of Delaware. Nemours has grown to be one of the nation’s largest children’s health systems caring for more than a quarter of a million children each year. The hospital is part of the DuPont legacy and is located on the DuPont Historic Corridor
DuPont Historic Corridor
The DuPont Historic Corridor is a section of Delaware Route 141 that traces the history of both the Du Pont family and the DuPont company. The southwest point houses DuPont’s Chestnut Run Plaza and the northeastern end is home to the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children...
.
Through his last will and testament, Alfred I. DuPont established a trust composed of his holdings in E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company which provided for the formation of The Nemours Foundation
Nemours Foundation
The Nemours Foundation is a non-profit organization in Jacksonville, Florida, created by philanthropist Alfred I. du Pont in 1936, and dedicated to improving the health of children. The Foundation operates the Alfred I...
, named for the duPont family’s home in France. The Nemours Foundation was incorporated in Florida in 1936. In 1940, the original Alfred I. duPont Institute was opened in Wilmington, and it quickly became world renowned for its clinical and research excellence in the field of pediatric orthopedics. It wasn’t until 1976 that the Nemours Board of Directors expanded the Institute’s mission to encompass more pediatric diseases. The first phase of the new Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children was completed in 1979. Outpatient and ambulatory care was provided at the adjacent Nemours Children’s Clinic. The current hospital was completed in 1984. It was named one of the nation’s best children’s hospitals by Parents Magazine in 2009.
The Institute is academically affiliated with both the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
and Thomas Jefferson University
Thomas Jefferson University
Thomas Jefferson University is a private health sciences university in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. The university consists of six constituent colleges and schools, Jefferson Medical College, Jefferson College of Graduate Studies, Jefferson School of Health...
in nearby Philadelphia, and the residency program is handled through Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
The Nemours foundation is the sole beneficiary of the A.I. duPont Testamentary Trust which was valued at $3.4 billion in 2009.
Facilities
The medical campus is located directly east of the DuPont Experimental StationDuPont Experimental Station
The DuPont Experimental Station is the largest research and development facility of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. Located on the banks of the Brandywine Creek in Wilmington, Delaware, it is home to some of the most important discoveries of the modern chemical industry...
and the site also houses the Nemours Mansion and Gardens
Nemours Mansion and Gardens
The Nemours Mansion and Gardens is a country estate with jardin à la française formal gardens and a classical French mansion located in Wilmington, Delaware. The mansion resembles a Château and contains more than seventy rooms spread over five floors occupying nearly . It shares the grounds with...
. The facility provides Level II Pediatric Trauma and Emergency Care in addition to Fast Track Urgent Care. The Ronald McDonald House of Delaware located adjacent to the hospital provides sleep rooms and showers for the parents and families of children receiving treatment.
In 2011, the Nemours Foundation announced a $212 million expansion that would increase the size of the Emergency Department and number of inpatient beds. The construction is expected to be complete in 2014.