Our Story
The 乐播传媒 Children's Journey
乐播传媒' founder, Alfred I. duPont, firmly believed that 鈥渋t is the duty of everyone in the world to do what is within his power to alleviate human suffering.鈥 Mr. duPont鈥檚 words and his legacy of compassion have lived on for more than 70 years through the care and services provided to children and families at 乐播传媒.
Our journey began in 1936 with the formation of The 乐播传媒 Foundation under the terms of Mr. duPont鈥檚 will; it began to deliver on his vision in 1940 when the Alfred I. duPont Institute, a pediatric orthopedic hospital in Wilmington, Del., opened its doors.
Today, 乐播传媒 has grown to become one of the nation鈥檚 largest integrated pediatric health systems, providing hospital- and clinic-based specialty care, primary care, prevention and health information services, and research and medical education programs aimed at improving the lives of children and families throughout the Delaware Valley and in Florida.
乐播传媒: Through the Years
1935:听Through his last will and testament, Alfred I. duPont, industrialist, scientist, musician, inventor and philanthropist, established a Trust which provided for the formation of The 乐播传媒 Foundation, named for the duPont family鈥檚 beloved homeland in France.
1936:听The 乐播传媒 Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to the health of children, is incorporated in Florida.
1940:听The Alfred I. duPont Institute is opened in Wilmington, Del., under the medical direction of Alfred R. Shands, MD. The 乐播传媒 Foundation鈥檚 first health care institution; it quickly becomes world renowned for clinical and research in the field of pediatric orthopedics.
1968:聽G. Dean MacEwen, MD, succeeded Dr. Shands as medical director of the Alfred I. duPont Institute.
1976:聽乐播传媒 Board of Directors expanded the Institute鈥檚 mission to encompass more pediatric diseases.
1979:聽First phase of the 乐播传媒 Children鈥檚 Hospital, Delaware in Wilmington, Del., is completed.
1981:聽乐播传媒 established 乐播传媒 SeniorCare to provide programs and health services including dental, vision and hearing, for low-income seniors throughout the state of Delaware.
1981:聽乐播传媒 purchased the Hope Haven Children鈥檚 Hospital in Jacksonville, Fla.
1982:聽乐播传媒 announced its first President & CEO, W. Jeffrey Wadsworth.
1983: 乐播传媒 Children's Clinic, a complementary outpatient and ambulatory care facility adjacent to the 乐播传媒 Children鈥檚 Hospital, Delaware, opened in Wilmington, Del.
1984:听The 乐播传媒 Children鈥檚 Hospital, Delaware is completed.
1991:听乐播传媒 Children鈥檚 Clinic, a comprehensive pediatric subspecialty ambulatory care system, is opened in Jacksonville, Fla.
1995:听The award-winning KidsHealth.org is created through the 乐播传媒 Center for Children鈥檚 Health Media, offering millions of parents, kids and teens trusted health information from leading pediatric experts.
1996:听乐播传媒 Children鈥檚 Clinic is opened in Orlando.
1996:听乐播传媒 Children鈥檚 Clinic is opened in Pensacola, Fla.
2002:听乐播传媒 Board of Directors expanded the Foundation鈥檚 mission, adding 鈥渓eadership鈥 as an avowed part of its purpose and deleting the limiting words 鈥渁cute鈥 and 鈥渃hronic.鈥
2002:聽To support the expanded mission, a new operating division, 乐播传媒 Health & Prevention Services, is chartered to articulate and promote holistic health and preventive care for children, beginning in Delaware.
2005:听乐播传媒 celebrated the fifth anniversary of deploying a fully integrated electronic medical record, integrating an unprecedented 20 specialties across our children鈥檚 health system.
2005:听乐播传媒 BrightStart! is launched in Duval County, Florida, to provide free screening and intervention services for preschoolers at risk of reading difficulties.聽
2005:聽乐播传媒 announced plans to seek regulatory approval to build a freestanding children鈥檚 hospital in Orlando.
2006:聽乐播传媒 Board of Directors welcomed six new members, who in addition to Richard Christopher (who was appointed a year earlier) formed a majority of 鈥渘on-Trustees鈥 to help fully realize the design of 乐播传媒 as a leading children鈥檚 health system.
2008:聽乐播传媒 received regulatory approval to begin construction of a medical campus and freestanding children鈥檚 hospital in Orlando.
2009:聽乐播传媒 broke ground on the Lake Nona medical campus in Orlando.
2011:聽乐播传媒 celebrates 鈥渟ky-breaking鈥 for the expansion of 乐播传媒/Alfred I. duPont Hospital in Wilmington, Del.
2012:聽乐播传媒 Children鈥檚 Hospital in Orlando is opened, making 乐播传媒聽the only pediatric health system in the nation with two freestanding children鈥檚 hospitals.
2014:听The 450,000-square-foot expansion of 乐播传媒/Alfred I. duPont Hospital opened, featuring the soaring five-story Anthony N. Fusco, Sr. Atrium, all single-patient rooms, doubled-in-size emergency department, underground parking garage and rooftop healing garden.
2014:听乐播传媒 CareConnect 鈥 our 24/7, on-demand telehealth service 鈥 launched.
2018:听Our Value-Based Services Organization (VBSO), covering commercial and Medicaid patients across Delaware and Pennsylvania, launched to help transform the current health system from a model that pays for sickness to a model that pays for health.聽聽
2018:听The 乐播传媒 App launched, providing an integrated, personalized point of access to help families manage their child鈥檚 health and keep clinicians in the loop between appointments.
2019:聽The 40,000-square-foot Cardiac Center at 乐播传媒 Children鈥檚 Hospital, Florida, is opened.
2019:聽乐播传媒 Children鈥檚 Hospital, Florida welcomed its first ever class of pediatric residents.
The Alfred I. duPont Trust
Upon his death, Alfred I. duPont left behind an estate valued at $40 million and a Last Will and Testament with specific instructions for the creation of a charitable corporation primarily devoted to providing health care services to children.
The聽Alfred I. duPont Charitable Trust. was established in 1936 to carry out the wishes of Mr. duPont including support of The 乐播传媒 Foundation for the preservation and public enjoyment of the 乐播传媒 Estate (Mansion and Gardens) in Wilmington, the care and treatment of disabled children, and the care of low-income seniors throughout the state of Delaware.
Through the generosity of the duPont legacy, the careful guardianship of the Trust assets by the Trustees and the oversight and supervision by the Board of Directors of The 乐播传媒 Foundation, 乐播传媒 has grown to become one of the nation鈥檚 largest children鈥檚 health systems 鈥 honoring Mr. duPont鈥檚 vision through compassion and care for more than a quarter of a million children
each year.
鈥It has been my firm conviction throughout life that it is the duty of everyone in the world to do what is within his power to alleviate human suffering.鈥
鈥 Alfred I. duPont
乐播传媒 Estate
乐播传媒 Estate is the 222-acre estate of the late industrialist and philanthropist, Alfred I. duPont, founder of 乐播传媒, and his wife, Jessie Ball duPont. Adjacent to the grounds of the 乐播传媒 Children鈥檚 Hospital, Delaware in Wilmington, Del., 乐播传媒 was named after the duPont family鈥檚 ancestral home in France.
Built from 1909 to 1910, the 47,000 square-foot mansion contains more than 70 rooms, nearly half of which are open to the public. Fine antiques, famous works of art, beautiful tapestries and other treasures decorate the mansion. The surrounding grounds boast one of the finest examples of a formal French garden in North America.
In his will, Mr. duPont requested his trustees maintain and preserve 乐播传媒 Estate 鈥渇or the pleasure and benefit of the public.鈥 Open for tours since 1977, 乐播传媒 has hosted hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Visitation and Admissions
乐播传媒 Estate is family-friendly and welcomes visitors of all ages. Groups of 10 or more should schedule their visit in advance; for all other visitors, no reservation is needed or suggested. Please note that certain areas in the Mansion, Chauffeur鈥檚 Garage, gardens and grounds are not fully accessible. We will endeavor to accommodate visitors needing special assistance.
乐播传媒 Estate, including the Mansion, gardens, grounds and Chauffeur鈥檚 Garage, is open for visitation Tuesday to Sunday during the regular season (May 1 to November 13); the Estate is closed on Mondays.
During the holiday season (November 19 to January 8), 乐播传媒 Mansion is open Tuesday to Sunday except for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year鈥檚 Day; the gardens, grounds and Chauffeur鈥檚 Garage are not open during the holiday season.
For hours, directions and more information, please call (800) 651-6912, or visit聽.