CHEO first opened its doors on May 17, 1974 at 401 Smyth Road in Ottawa. The site includes a hospital, children's treatment centre, school and research institute, with satellite services located throughout eastern Ontario. CHEO, which is affiliated with the University of Ottawa, provides complex pediatric care, research and education. It is a partner of the Kids Come First Health team and a founding member of Kids Health Alliance, a network of partners.
In addition to its clinical mandate, CHEO is an academic health science centre. Each year, it provides education to 2,300 future pediatricians, nurses, and other health professionals.
In 2024, Forbes Magazine named CHEO the best place to work in Canadian health care. CHEO has also been recognized consistently as a National Capital Region Top Employer for more than a decade.
CHEO is funded by the Government of Ontario as well as by a variety of public donations. One of the hospital's major sources of funding is the CHEO Foundation, which was incorporated in 1974.
CHEO was formed in 1974 due to the efforts of the community requesting a bilingual healthcare centre for children and the approval by the provincial government. The timeline indicates the year major areas of the hospital were established.[2]
1966 - Ontario government approves construction of children's hospital in Ottawa
1974 - Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario is opened to patients
1975 - Pediatric Neurosurgery Program
1977 - Dental Clinic
1980 - 1st pediatric Burn Treatment Centre in eastern Ontario
1981 - Sports Injury Clinic, Pulmonary Function Lab, Poison Information Centre
The emergency entrance to Children Hospital of Eastern Ontario1983 - CTV CHEO Telethon is formed
A helicopter landing at CHEO2005 - New state-of-the-art cauterization laboratory
2006 - Lets Keep Kids Out Of The Hospital campaign, surgery virtual tour is created, Child Life Interactive Computers for Kids (CLICK) is introduced, Ontario's Newborn Screening Program begins, and Roger's House, a hospice for palliative pediatric care is opened
2007 - First Vertical Expandable Prosthetic Titanium Rib (VEPTR) in Ontario, eating disorders program is introduced
2008 - Parental Presence at Induction (PPI) is introduced, allowing parents to be with their children before and after surgery
2009 - Garry Cardiff Wing is opened, houses the emergency department, the neonatal and pediatric intensive care units and the medical day unit for children and youth afflicted with serious illnesses requiring outpatient treatments.
2009 - CHEO opens their off-site Centre for Healthy Active Living, with clinics focused on Obesity and Type II Diabetes
2019 - The Children's Hospital rebranded with the name CHEO which no longer served as an abbreviation, Kids Come First health team launched, Aakuluk Clinic launched to optimize care for Inuit families
2020 - st Virtual Emergency Department in Canada offered during COVID-19 pandemic
2021 - Accepts adult ICU patients] for 1st time ever to help relieve pressure at adult hospitals, 1st pediatric palliative care residency program in Canada
2022 - Call1Click launched, On-demand interpretation service a 1st in Canada, New simulation lab opens, 2nd Pediatric Intensive Care Unit opens for viral season
2023 - French health provider designation, renderings of new Integrated Treatment Centre shared
