Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Celebrates 100 Years of Healing
This year, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital celebrates its 100-year anniversary of serving children and families. As the #1 children’s hospital in Florida and the only nationally ranked pediatric hospital in Tampa Bay by “U.S. News & World Report,” hospital leaders, staff, patients, families and the community look forward to commemorating a century of excellence in pediatric care, highlighting the hospital’s legacy and future vision of continued growth and service.
“2026 kicks off a year-long celebration of our hospital’s rich history, acknowledging the many individuals who helped us become Florida’s leading children’s hospital,” says Alicia Schulhof, M.H.A., F.A.C.H.E., president of Johns Hopkins All Children’s. “This is an incredible milestone, a historical time for our organization, made possible by ongoing community support, dedicated employees and visionary leaders. I am so proud to be a part of this celebration as we reflect on where we started to where we are now — the top children’s hospital in the state and the exciting expansion of services underway, like our brand-new Wesley Chapel Hospital opening next year.”
When a polio epidemic in the early 1920s created a crucial need for pediatric care, the American Legion Post 14, based in St. Petersburg, led the effort to build a hospital where children suffering from polio and other crippling conditions could seek care. The American Legion Hospital for Crippled Children was founded in 1926 and opened the following year in a building that had housed a speakeasy before its transformation to a citrus house. In 1967, with polio nearly eliminated, All Children’s Hospital replaced the American Legion Hospital for Crippled Children and expanded services to cover a broad variety of pediatric specialties.
Fifteen years ago, a new hospital (the current building) opened, and in 2011, All Children’s became part of the Johns Hopkins Health System.
The hospital has had several homes during the last 10 decades, refocusing its mission as needed to address the emerging needs of children and families. Current plans to make care easier for more families through an array of expansion efforts include building a new hospital in Wesley Chapel, expansion of space and services on and near the St. Petersburg campus, and the addition of new outpatient care services, including after-hours pediatric urgent care in Tampa.
“Doctors and community hospitals rely on us to provide exceptional care for critically ill patients and to carry out intricate surgical procedures,” says Schulhof. “As a trusted leader in pediatric healthcare, we recognize that there are many more children who could benefit from our expertise and our commitment to compassionate, high-quality services.”
All year long, the hospital will share memories, photos and stories in celebration of the hospital’s legacy. If you or any members of your family were treated at All Children’s Hospital, we invite you to share your story by visiting t.jh.edu/ach100stories. The hospital’s history wall in its St. Petersburg Outpatient Care Center will also be updated to reflect key accomplishments of the past decade. Please visit the hospital’s social media channels for special stories and news about upcoming events.
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*Presented by Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital | Originally published in the March 2026 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine.