It’s no surprise that Ann Arbor is home to one of the most innovative children’s hospitals in the nation: C.S Mott’s Children’s Hospital ("Mott One"). At the frontlines of leading pediatric care to a brighter future, Mott’s Children’s hospital’s dedication to excellence of patient care can be measured by the countless lives they’ve impacted.

Being one of the first children's hospitals in the nation, Mott’s Hospital paved the way to making the field of pediatrics more accessible. Not only was it a well-funded university hospital that had the ability of increasing specialized care for children, but also, created an opportunity for students and doctors to learn how to apply what was considered nuanced care at the time (needs source). By having an early start dedicated to the care of children, the hospital spearheaded effective treatments for adolescents as well. For example, during the mid-20th century, polio, the rising yet prominent virus, was a big threat. University of Michigan and its hospital’s research with treatments involving breakthrough “iron lung” technology changed the narrative of the patients who were affected by the virus (needs source). For children being treated for polio at Mott, staying alive as a possibility, something that was unheard of at the time (needs source). 

Now the $754 million hospital has “12- story inpatient wings, 1.1 millions square feet, 348 beds, 16 operating rooms and 2 interventional radiology rooms” (Milestones). The sentiment of embracing innovation, research, and passion still holds true today as the hospital has expanded in excelling in all different aspects of medicine, and continues to defy the boundaries of care for the betterment of those who are suffering.

The Charles Stewart Mott foundation funds nonprofit organizations that encapsulate C.S. Mott’s pillars of philanthropy: “vision of a world in which every person was in partnership with the rest of the human race, and where each individual’s quality of life is connected to the well-being of the community— locally and globally” ("A Second-Century Man"). One of the most recent projects that was given funding by the C.S. Mott Foundation focused on revitalizing the education system in Flint, Michigan, where Mott was mayor from 1912-13 and 1918. The educational initiatives include “community education, afterschool programming, The Flint Early Childhood Collaborative, a Flint Parent Collaborative, a Community Council on Education, and a Network for School Excellence” (New organization will knit together educational supports to help Flint kids thrive).

Currently, C.S Mott Children’s Hospital “was the top ranked children’s hospital in Michigan, and the only hospital in the state ranked in all 10 pediatric specialty areas evaluated” (Mott one of the nation’s best hospitals). Throughout the years, the hospital has made headlines in their innovative approaches to patient care and their forever evolving treatments to pediatric treatments. With the donation of C.S Mott and his inspiring desire to make a difference, the drive to make better opportunities for the future of the children is embodied by the community of C.S Mott Children’s Hospital.

Work Cited

“Milestones"  C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.Michigan Medicine. https://www.mottchildren.org/about-us/milestones. Access Date: April 12, 2023.

“C.S Mott, 8 Years Old.”  Ruth Mott Foundation, 1883, Ruth Mott Foundation. Accessed: April 5, 2023. 

Kim, Ellen. Exterior photograph of C.S Mott Children's Hospital. 5 Apr. 2023. Author’s personal collection.

“Our Founder & Mission.” Ruth Mott Foundation, 12 Oct. 2020, https://www.ruthmottfoundation.org/about-us/our-founder-and-mission/. Access Date: April 12, 2023

“About the Motts.” Ruth Mott Foundation, 6 May 2021, https://www.ruthmottfoundation.org/applewood/about-the-motts/. Access Date: April 12, 2023

Renehan, Edward. “A Second- Century Man.” The Life of Charles Stewart Mott: Industrialist, Philanthropist, Mr. Flint, University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, MI, 2019. Access Date: April 12, 2023

Schuch, Sarah. “New Organization Will Knit Together Educational Supports to Help Flint Kids Thrive.” Mott Foundation, 2 Feb. 2023, https://www.mott.org/news/releases/new-organization-will-knit-together-educational-supports-to-help-flint-kids-thrive/. Access Date: April 12, 2023

“Mott One of the Nation's Best Hospitals.” University of Michigan, 2020, https://2019.annualreport.umich.edu/awards-and-honors/mott/#:~:text=Awards%20%26%20Honors&text=Mott%20was%20the%20top%2Dranked,each%20specialty%20among%20state%20peers. Access Date: April 12, 2023