Under the leadership of Paul F. Levy, the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston engaged in a program to eliminate preventable harm to patients, with a remarkable level of transparency to the public about the hospital’s progress towards that goal.
The question of long-term ventilation for children with progressive conditions, such as muscular dystrophy or metabolic disease, is one of the enduring puzzles in paediatric ethics. Is it ethical to put a child on invasive mechanical ventilation when they will never be able breathe again on their own, and will inevitably die from their condition?
Several Grand Rounds in 2020, the 150th year of the Children’s Hospital, will highlight the development of services, some looking back and looking forward. This opening Grand Round will review the innovations in diabetes, adolescent health, and links between the hospital and the community. Dr John Court was a paediatrician who had a key role in service development at The Royal Children’s Hospital from the late 1950’s to the 1990’s including research and clinical care.
