St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children is a 180-bed, non-profit pediatric acute care hospital in Philadelphia, founded in 1875 and co-owned by Tower Health and Drexel University. It operates a Level I Trauma Center, Verified Burn Center, and 30+ pediatric specialties serving more than 69,000 children annually across Greater Philadelphia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1875
- HeadquartersPhiladelphia, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What St. Christopher's Hospital for Children does
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children is a 180-bed, non-profit pediatric acute care hospital located in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded in 1875 and operated as a joint venture between Tower Health and Drexel University. The hospital delivers comprehensive pediatric specialty care across more than 30 disciplines — including emergency medicine, trauma, burn care, oncology, neonatology, cardiology, neurology, and orthopedics — through a 24/7 Level I Trauma Center and Verified Burn Center housed in a 17,300-square-foot emergency department with 34 examination rooms, and through six outpatient primary care and specialty locations across the Greater Philadelphia region (Northeast Philadelphia, Yardley, Abington, Berks County, Bucks County, and Washington Township). A 24/7 critical care transport team supports regional referrals from other hospitals and EMS systems.
The facility serves more than 69,000 pediatric patients annually in the emergency department alone and has earned three consecutive years (2024, 2025, 2026) on Newsweek's America's Best Children's Hospitals list, with specific distinction in Pediatric Orthopedics. The hospital operates under a "pragmatic AI adoption" strategy led by CFO Edward Bleacher, embedding third-party AI tools — ambient AI for clinical documentation and AI-powered automated coding, claim creation, and denial prevention — into clinical and revenue cycle workflows to address thin operating margins and reduce administrative burden on clinicians.
Financially, St. Christopher's carries $141 million in debt owed to its two parent owners (Tower Health and Drexel University), with owner lines of credit expiring at year-end. In fiscal 2025, the hospital reported an operating profit of $1.1 million, a dramatic reversal from a $31.6 million loss in fiscal 2024, driven primarily by a one-time $76 million revenue uplift from first-time inclusion in the Philadelphia Hospital Assessment program — a municipal mechanism that taxes local hospitals to increase Medicaid funding for safety-net providers. The hospital is accredited through partnerships with Drexel University College of Medicine for medical education, residency programs, and academic medicine, and earns patient volume through physician referral networks, the MyTowerHealth patient portal, and community health programs.
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
- Legal name
- St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
- Website
- https://towerhealth.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1875
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- St. Christopher's Hospital for Children is a 180-bed, non-profit pediatric acute care hospital in Philadelphia, founded in 1875 and co-owned by Tower Health and Drexel University. It operates a Level I Trauma Center, Verified Burn Center, and 30+ pediatric specialties serving more than 69,000 children annually across Greater Philadelphia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pediatric Hospital Services
- NAICS
- Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals (6223)
- SIC
- Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, Nec (8062)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Children’s Hospitals (Acute Care) (HLAFAAAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Pediatric Specialty Care Centers (e.g., cardiology, oncology, neurology) (HLAFAJAH), Pediatric Urgent Care Centers (HLAFADAF), Pediatric Urgent Care & After-Hours Clinics (HLAFAJAI)
Keywords
Where St. Christopher's Hospital for Children is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Philadelphia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Patient Care Services: Hospital generates revenue through providing pediatric clinical care services including emergency, inpatient, and outpatient services
- Medicaid/Philadelphia Hospital Assessment: Revenue boost of $76 million from first-time inclusion in the Philadelphia Hospital Assessment program, which taxes local hospitals to increase Medicaid funding for safety-net providers
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Quote-based pricing for healthcare services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children product offering
Product offeringCore offering
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children is a 180-bed acute care children's hospital in Philadelphia that delivers comprehensive pediatric inpatient, emergency, trauma, burn, and specialty care through its main campus and a regional network of outpatient locations. Services span 30+ pediatric specialties and include a 24/7 Level I Trauma Center, a Verified Burn Center, a Level IV NICU, and a critical care transport service treating more than 69,000 children annually.
Product overview
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children operates as a 180-bed acute care children's hospital in Philadelphia, PA, in partnership with Tower Health and Drexel University. The hospital provides comprehensive pediatric healthcare services through its main campus emergency department (Level I Trauma Center, Verified Burn Center), network of outpatient primary care and specialty locations, and AI-enabled clinical and revenue cycle management tools. The product portfolio centers on the core hospital services augmented by ambient AI documentation and automated coding systems to support clinical and financial operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- St. Christopher's Hospital for Children (Main Campus) A 180-bed acute care children's hospital in Philadelphia, PA, providing nationally recognized pediatric inpatient, surgical, and trauma-related care through board-certified pediatric emergency medicine physicians available 24/7.
- Pediatric Emergency Department A 17,300-square-foot, 24/7 emergency care facility with 34 examination rooms, a trauma bay, and three distinct care zones, operating as a Level I Trauma Center and Verified Burn Center and treating more than 69,000 children and adolescents annually.
- Pediatric Specialty Care Services Comprehensive pediatric specialty services covering Adolescent Medicine, Anesthesiology, Audiology, Blood Disorder Care, Burn Care, Cancer Care, Critical Care Medicine, Dental Medicine, Developmental Pediatrics, Digestive Health, ENT, Endocrinology and Diabetes, Eye Care, Fetal Evaluation, General Surgery, Genetics, Heart Care, Imaging and Radiology, Immunology, Infectious Diseases, Kidney Care, Lab and Pathology, Level IV NICU, Lung Care, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pharmacy, Plastic Surgery, Primary Care, Rehabilitation, Rheumatology, Sleep Center, Special Healthcare Needs, Speech Therapy, Trauma, Urology, and Weight Management.
- Outpatient Pediatric Care Locations Network of regional outpatient locations providing pediatric primary care and specialty services, including Primary Care (Northeast Philadelphia and Yardley) and Specialty Pediatrics (Abington, Berks County, Bucks County, and Washington Township).
- Critical Care Transport Service 24/7 critical care transport team staffed by nurses and paramedics that provides basic and advanced care during patient transfers from referral centers and EMS partners to St. Christopher's Hospital for Children.
Companies that use St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature2 records
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship.
- Drexel UniversityflagshipSt. Christopher's Hospital for Children is owned by Tower Health and Drexel University in partnership. The hospital is academically affiliated with Drexel University College of Medicine, supporting medical education, residency programs, and academic medicine. The partnership enables comprehensive pediatric care combined with academic medicine and research capabilities.
- Tower HealthflagshipTower Health is the parent health system and co-owner of St. Christopher's Hospital for Children. The hospital is part of Tower Health's regional integrated healthcare system serving Berks, Chester, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties. Tower Health provides operational infrastructure, shared services, and integration with other system hospitals.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center: Freestanding pediatric academic medical center and research institution. Comparable as a specialty children's hospital with similar scale, trauma capability, and recognition in specialty rankings such as U.S. News and Newsweek.
- UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh: Pediatric hospital within the UPMC academic health system. Comparable as a specialty children's hospital with trauma capability and academic affiliation, though operating in a different region.
- Texas Children's Hospital: One of the largest freestanding pediatric hospitals in the U.S., operating as a teaching affiliate within a broader academic system. Comparable as a pediatric acute care hospital with comprehensive specialty services and Level I trauma designation.
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP): Pediatric acute care hospital and research institution located in Philadelphia. Directly comparable as a specialty children's hospital serving the same Greater Philadelphia region with overlapping tertiary and quaternary pediatric services.
- Boston Children's Hospital: One of the largest pediatric academic medical centers in the U.S., closely comparable in scope of specialty services, trauma/burn capability, and academic affiliation model. Operates in a different region but is a benchmark peer.
- Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware: Specialty pediatric hospital system operating children's hospitals and specialty care across the Delaware Valley. Comparable as a regional children's hospital system competing for pediatric specialty referrals in the Mid-Atlantic.
Broad incumbents
- Tower Health (Reading Hospital): Parent regional health system and co-owner of St. Christopher's. Comparable as a regional integrated delivery network, providing operational infrastructure, shared services, and capital access to St. Christopher's.
- Johns Hopkins Children's Center: Children's hospital embedded within the Johns Hopkins academic health system. Comparable for pediatric specialty services and academic medicine integration, though pediatric services are part of a broader adult-focused system.
Regional players
- Yale New Haven Children's Hospital: Pediatric hospital within the Yale New Haven Health system serving Connecticut and surrounding areas. Comparable as a children's hospital with academic medicine ties, but operating in a different regional market.
- Children's National Hospital (Washington, D.C.): Independent pediatric academic health system serving the mid-Atlantic region. Comparable as a freestanding children's hospital with Level I trauma and broad pediatric specialty services, though operating in a different metropolitan geography.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children social profiles
Digital presenceSt. Christopher's Hospital for Children compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
What does St. Christopher's Hospital for Children do?
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children is a 180-bed acute care children's hospital in Philadelphia that delivers comprehensive pediatric inpatient, emergency, trauma, burn, and specialty care through its main campus and a regional network of outpatient locations. Services span 30+ pediatric specialties and include a 24/7 Level I Trauma Center, a Verified Burn Center, a Level IV NICU, and a critical care transport service treating more than 69,000 children annually.
Is St. Christopher's Hospital for Children a public or private company?
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was St. Christopher's Hospital for Children founded?
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children was founded in 1875. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is St. Christopher's Hospital for Children based?
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children is headquartered in Philadelphia, United States, in the North America region.
How does St. Christopher's Hospital for Children make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Patient Care Services are the primary driver. The others are medicaid/Philadelphia Hospital Assessment.
Who are St. Christopher's Hospital for Children's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Texas Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Boston Children's Hospital and Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware. Broad incumbents are Tower Health (Reading Hospital) and Johns Hopkins Children's Center. Regional players are Yale New Haven Children's Hospital and Children's National Hospital (Washington, D.C.).
Does St. Christopher's Hospital for Children have an API?
No public API is recorded for St. Christopher's Hospital for Children.
What industry is St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in?
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children's product category is Pediatric Hospital Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFAAAI, Children’s Hospitals (Acute Care), with a secondary code of HLAFAJAH, Pediatric Specialty Care Centers (e.g., cardiology, oncology, neurology). Its NAICS code is 6223 and its SIC code is 8062.