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Celebrating our 150th birthday and many more milestones
Summary:
The year 2025 will go down in history as our best year yet.
That’s a wrap on 2025 and it was a year for the history books – literally.
We are grateful to all our staff, volunteers, patients, families, community partners and supporters for making our 150th year the best year yet. From pioneering new medical advances, groundbreaking research discoveries, launching new strategic initiatives, to receiving an array of accolades and awards, SickKids made it a birthday to remember.
Check out all the milestones and successes we achieved in our sensational sesquicentennial year.
Happy birthday to us!
In 1875, we opened our doors and a century and a half later we opened our hearts in celebration of our proud history and exciting future.
Canadian medical firsts
SickKids proudly marked several groundbreaking Canadian medical firsts, advancing paediatric care through innovation and expertise.
SickKids experts perform Canada's first endovascular hemispherectomy
When surgery wasn't an option, SickKids experts decided to perform a novel procedure done only a handful of times in the world, giving Maryam a new chance at life.
Canada's first NICU-based MRI system
SickKids becomes the first paediatric hospital in Canada to install a specialized neonatal MRI system inside its neonatal intensive care unit.
Rethinking sedation: Inside an innovative cross-team collaboration reshaping paediatric eye care
A new IV sedation program in the Ophthalmology Clinic at The Hospital for Sick Children is improving how children and families experience eye care — easing wait times, reducing OR use, and creating calmer, more comfortable spaces.
Clinical innovations and programs
Our commitment to advancing pediatric health is reflected in the many clinical innovations and program milestones we achieved throughout the year.
100 durable VADs implanted
We celebrated an extraordinary milestone for our Ventricular Assist Device Program. Since its launch in 2004, our team has implanted 100 durable VADs.
Expanding Remote Care: Scaling innovation with MyChart
Over the past two years, the Remote Care Management (RCM) program has made significant strides in transforming how care is delivered. While the use of RCM concepts and tools is not new at SickKids, a new approach to providing this type of care is making it easier to expand across the hospital. The new approach leverages MyChart, SickKids online patient portal, as the primary tool to facilitate RCM.
Renovated Dialysis Apheresis Unit opens
The Dialysis and Apheresis Program team proudly unveiled the newly renovated Dialysis Apheresis Unit. This major transformation project significantly enhances the Division of Nephrology's capacity to deliver specialized care. The renovation has expanded and modernized the unit, addressing long-standing space constraints while creating an environment optimized for patient and family comfort, flexibility and bedside care.
Excellence in ECMO life support
The Extracorporeal Life Support program achieved gold-level recognition for excellence in life support, marking a significant advancement in paediatric critical care. This recognition highlights the program's exceptional performance in providing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) services. ECMO technology temporarily takes over heart and lung functions for critically ill children, allowing them time to recover.
Research advances and grants
SickKids has continued to drive groundbreaking research and secure significant grants, advancing clinical care and scientific understanding across a range of paediatric health challenges.
SickKids scientists discover how brain fluid movement drives cancer spread and ways to fight back
Study uncovers new insights into medulloblastoma and the role of fluid shear stress in shaping cancer behaviour.
Research discovery halts childhood brain tumour before it forms
A SickKids research team has identified a critical event driving tumour growth in a type of medulloblastoma – and a way to block it.
Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea
SickKids research provides a genetic diagnosis to more families experiencing rare intestinal disorders.
Precision genetic target provides hope for Barth syndrome treatment
Researchers identify ABHD18 as a promising precision target for treating a rare mitochondrial condition.
How clinical RNA sequencing at SickKids is accelerating Precision Child Health
New studies show how RNA sequencing is helping doctors diagnose and treat childhood conditions more precisely, from cancer to rare disease.
Scientists map proteins key to how malaria spreads in drive for precision vaccines
For the first time, scientists have mapped the structure of a malaria protein complex that is key to disease transmission as recognized by blocking antibodies, unlocking new possibilities for designing more precise vaccines.
Opinion: The truth of autism will continue to be found in science, not myth
Research leaders from SickKids and Holland Bloorview challenge recent U.S. administration autism claims, reaffirming the need for evidence-based science over myth and misinformation.
Research centre awarded landmark grant to advance brain cancer research at SickKids
The $3-million grant will support SickKids research into early intervention and new clinical trials for high-grade gliomas.
Genome Canada awards SickKids $11.7 million to advance Precision Child Health
The projects will support a national genomic dataset of 100,000 genomes that reflects Canada’s diverse population.
Strategic initiatives and artificial intelligence
As SickKids embarks on its visionary 2030 strategy, innovative initiatives and cutting-edge artificial intelligence programs are transforming the future of paediatric care, research and education.
SickKids continues its journey to redefine child and youth health with launch of new five-year strategy.
SickKids launches trailblazing artificial intelligence program for paediatric health
SKAI, the new program at SickKids, scales responsible AI for a healthier future.
Transforming care through research: SickKids launches Clinical Research Strategy
SickKids has launched its first enterprise-wide Clinical Research Strategy to embed research into care, driving discovery and better outcomes for patients and families.
Learning Institute Annual Report 2024-2025
Discover how SickKids’ Learning Institute is transforming paediatric education through precision learning, simulation innovation, and global partnerships, as showcased in its 2024–2025 Annual Report.
A one-stop online hub to navigate paediatric mental health services
Thriving Minds, a partnership between SickKids, CAMH, and The Garry Hurvitz Centre for Community Mental Health, launches a comprehensive website for mental health programs, services and support.
The Office of Engagement at SickKids is dedicated to ensuring that people with lived experience can drive meaningful change across care, research and learning.
Awards and recognition
As SickKids continues to innovate and lead in child health, our achievements have been recognized through numerous awards and honors that celebrate our commitment to excellence on both individual and institutional levels. This year, SickKids was named the best children’s hospital in the world by Newsweek and Statista, earned Accreditation with Exemplary Standing, ranked among Canada’s top research hospitals, and was recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for the 11th consecutive year.
This year, SickKids staff and teams also earned numerous prestigious recognitions, including awards for leadership, innovation, and excellence in clinical care, research, technology, sustainability, and patient safety. These achievements reflect a year of groundbreaking contributions and milestones across the organization.
The winners represent an esteemed group of Canadian CEOs who have achieved significant accomplishments in their career.
Dr. Zulfiqar Bhutta honoured for pioneering, lifelong leadership in global child health
The award recognizes his paediatric health leadership and contributions to advancing maternal, newborn and child health policies and interventions.
Dr. Jennifer Stinson receives prestigious Gairdner Momentum Award
The award recognizes Stinson's research in advancing paediatric pain management using digital therapies like robotics and mobile applications.
Dr. Jeremy Friedman receives inaugural Distinguished Hospital Paediatrician Award
The Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) has recognized Dr. Jeremy Friedman with the inaugural Distinguished Hospital Paediatrician Award for his “stellar contributions to clinical care, education, scholarship and advocacy."
ORBIE Award recognizes SickKids’ cutting-edge technological expertise and transformation
Dr. Sarah Muttitt, VP and Chief Information Officer (CIO), received the Toronto ORBIE Award for Enterprise CIO of the Year for her leadership in enterprise technology and innovation, driving her teams to excellence and transformation across SickKids.
A decade of progress in sepsis care
Celebrating 10 years ago of the Sepsis Program, designed to strengthen early recognition and accelerate treatment for children and youth.
Energy management excellence and LEED Gold certification
SickKids earned the 2025 Energy Management Excellence Award for reducing operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions, and also achieved LEED Gold certification for outstanding environmental performance.
Women’s Auxiliary Volunteers celebrate 75 years of “Making SickKids Better”
“Volunteers Make Waves” is a fitting theme for National Volunteer Week 2025 given our Women’s Auxiliary Volunteers (WAV) are celebrating their 75th anniversary!
Caring Safely celebrates 10 years
Over the past decade, our collective commitment has driven meaningful change, improved outcomes, and set new standards for safety across SickKids.