University Children's Hospital Basel

Basel has to thank Anna Elisabeth Burckhardt-Vischer for the foundation of a children's hospital. She ordered the modification of the adjoining building of her mansion zum Kränzlein, at St. Johanns-Vorstadt, so that it was possible to use it for the care of sick children. In 1846 she opened the small nursing home. On the opening day, three of the six sickbeds were already occupied by young patients. Dr. Carl Steckeisen performed the medical treatment free of charge. Carolina Rauh, a nurse from Württemberg was responsible for patient care.

In 1852 the sisters Anna Elisabeth Burckhardt-Vischer, Juliana Birmann-Vischer and Charlotte His-Vischer established the foundation "Kinderspital Basel" (Children's Hospital Basel). After the death of all three women, the estate at the bank of the Rhine – in Kleinbasel (Lesser Basel) – was bought and the construction of the children's hospital was initiated.[5][6]

The 2nd of January 1862 is regarded as original birthday of the Children's Hospital Basel. The opening of the newly constructed hospital at the bank of the Rhine was celebrated with a small ceremony. In the beginning it held more than 40 beds and was regarded as a prototype building for a children's hospital. After a short while the absence of an operating room proved to be a disadvantage. But only 30 years after the opening, the first operating room was taken into service at the children's hospital. Soon after that, the first x-ray machine was installed. As the population grew, the number of patients rose at the children's hospital. In 1862, 120 patients were cared for at the children's hospital. Already in 2009, the number rose to about 6500.[4]

Registry office around 1870

In the beginning of 1999 the two cantonal children's hospitals in Basel and at Bruderholz merged to form the university children's Hospital – an organisation regulated by public law with three locations. The general paediatric orthopaedics, an emergency room and a polyclinic were located at the Römergasse in Basel. The paediatric surgery, the paediatric orthopaedics, the intensive care unit, another polyclinic and an emergency room were located at Bruderholz (Basel-Landschaft). The neonatology, the department for new born and premature babies, was integrated into the new building of the women's hospital with 16 beds and officially became the third location of the UKBB. After a short while, it became clear that the distribution across three locations gave rise to problem. Therefore, the two cantons Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft sought a solution: In August 2000, both governments argued for a new hospital with a single location, namely the areal of the former women's hospital in Basel.[4]

An executive board, which manages the UKBB in administrative matters, consists of persons who work in different areas of the hospital.

Apart from numerous employees in the fields of medicine and nursing service, the university children's hospital of both Basel employs further personnel in different administrative departments.[3]

• Adolescent medicine
• Anesthesia
• Cardiology
• Care management
• Dermatology
• Endocrinology/Diabetology
• Gastroenterology
• Gynaecology
• Hospital school
• Infectious disease
• Intensive care medicine
• Medical genetics
• Medical research
• Neonatology
• Nephrology
• Neurology and developmental pediatrics
• Nursing
• Oncology/Hematology
• Orthopaedics
• Outpatient clinic
• Pediatric laboratory
• Pediatric surgery
• Pediatrics
• Pneumology
• Psychiatry
• Radiology
• Rheumatology
• Therapies and pedagogy
• Vaccinology[1]

The university children's hospital runs a day care centre. Not only does Villa Kunterbunt (Villa Villekulla) offer assisted painting and handicraft work, it also provides a library (an outpost of the GGG public library Basel) and a toy library. Patients of the UKBB and their siblings can use the libraries.[7]

In order to provide the children with some daily routine, the UKBB has a department, which takes care of the hospital school. It is integrated in the care management division. Qualified teachers practice Mathematics or French with the children. They adjust their instructions according to the subject material and the state of health of each child. The teachers collaborate closely with the school of the child. Despite of the illness, the child should not fall behind in class.[8]

The members of the Belop association (German Begleitung der Eltern während der Operation ihres Kindes) takes care of parents, whose children are in surgery. The parent advisor stays with the parents until the child fell asleep. Afterwards she shows the parents where they can wait and helps them to find their way around the hospital. The parent advisor has a coffee with the parents or just listens to them. The parent advisor is in close contact with the operating team and is able to inform the parents about the duration of the operation. As soon as the child is back in the anaesthetic recovery room, the parent advisor leads the parents back to their child. The parent advisors work at the UKBB every day. Belop unburdens the hospital staff as well as the parents.[9]

Once a week the “dream doctors” visit the young patients. These visits are organised by the Foundation Theodora.[10]

The foundation Pro University Children’s Hospital of both Basel was founded on the 6th of January 2005. The foundation is devoted to the long-term development of the University Children's Hospital of both Basel.[11]

Since 2010, the Ronald McDonald House Basel offers the parents of sick children a temporary home.

The clinical and epidemiological research areas at UKBB are integrated into the key research areas of the faculty of medicine at the University of Basel. It is also linked to several working groups in clinical and biomedical research, home as well as abroad. The so-called basic research of the UKBB is situated within the department of biomedicine at the University of Basel..

A special emphasis is given to the following key research areas at UKBB:

• Developmental paediatrics/ pneumology
• Immunology/Infectiology
• Oncology/Hematology
• Paediatric orthopaedics