By Daniel Casciato

 A new chapter in pediatric care is underway in Broward County as Broward Health and Nicklaus Children’s Health System advance a strategic affiliation designed to expand access, enhance specialty services, and keep more families close to home for care.

In March 2026, pediatric services at Broward Health Medical Center and Broward Health Coral Springs officially transitioned to Nicklaus Children’s, marking a significant milestone in a collaboration that aims to reshape the region’s pediatric landscape. The affiliation brings together Broward Health’s extensive community-based network with Nicklaus Children’s nationally recognized pediatric expertise, with both organizations aligned around a shared goal: delivering high-quality, compassionate care where families need it most.

Addressing a Critical Community Need

For years, Broward County families have faced a gap in access to specialized pediatric care. Approximately 16 percent of pediatric patients have historically left the county for advanced services, creating disruptions for families and adding strain during already difficult times.

Broward Health President and CEO Shane Strum says the decision to partner was driven by both vision and practicality.

“Broward Health has historically had a small pediatric hospital within our larger hospitals – Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale and Broward Health Coral Springs,” Strum says. “As the first children’s unit in Broward County, we have always had a heart for our youngest patients. But we also had a vision to grow several floors of pediatric space into a freestanding hospital with specialties.”

However, building that level of specialty care independently would take years. Instead, Strum says the organization chose collaboration.

“Rather than move forward independently, we chose to do what many other highly successful programs have done – collaborate,” he says. “There was no need to replicate the successes of Nicklaus Children’s Health System. Instead, we elected to imagine what could be possible if we built something together.”

Matthew A. Love, president and CEO of Nicklaus Children’s Health System, says the partnership is rooted in a shared mission to serve children and families more effectively.

“As Broward County continues to experience growth, so does the need for greater access to specialized pediatric services,” Love says. “This affiliation was formed to address that need by bringing nationally recognized pediatric expertise directly to the community in the form of pediatric inpatient, infusion services, and pediatric ER services.”

Keeping Care Close to Home

One of the primary goals of the affiliation is to reduce the number of children who must travel outside Broward County for care. According to Love, that number has been significant.

“Approximately 900 children have had to seek care outside of the county due to access issues each year,” he says. “More than half of those patients were treated at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami.”

By integrating Nicklaus Children’s services into Broward Health facilities while expanding outpatient locations throughout the county, the collaboration aims to change that dynamic.

“Keeping children in their communities for care is the central goal of this collaboration,” Love says. “By bringing Nicklaus Children’s inpatient, pediatric sub-specialists, and clinical programs to Broward County we hope to minimize the impact that families have experienced when there have been access issues.”

Strum adds that the effort is part of a broader, long-term vision.

“With Nicklaus Children’s presence, we are bringing care to the patients who sometimes need to travel out of county or state for care,” he says. “This expansion is a long-term plan to evolve healthcare access and change the pediatric landscape.”

Complementary Strengths, Expanded Capabilities

The affiliation leverages the strengths of both organizations. Broward Health brings a deep-rooted presence in the community, while Nicklaus Children’s contributes decades of pediatric specialization and experience managing complex cases.

“At the heart of both our organizations is our role as safety net health systems,” Strum says. “We are here to provide care to all patients, regardless of ability to pay.”

He notes that Broward Health’s footprint across the county provides a strong foundation for growth.

“Broward Health’s longstanding commitment to the community and physical footprint across the county provide the perfect gateway for Nicklaus Children’s extensive specialty care to grow organically in the region,” Strum says.

Love emphasizes the practical benefits for families.

“The strength of our two organizations together on the Fort Lauderdale and Coral Springs campuses of Broward Health not only provide greater convenience for families, but also comprehensive clinical excellence,” he says.

A Seamless Transition

Behind the scenes, both organizations spent more than a year planning the transition, which involves approximately 450 Broward Health employees moving into the Nicklaus Children’s network.

“As a result, on March 1, we transitioned all pediatric clinical operations to Nicklaus Children’s with no interruption of patient care and tremendous staff support,” Strum says. “There’s no way to express the pride we all felt in that successful transition.”

Love echoes that sentiment, noting the scale and coordination required.

“Cross-functional workgroups from both organizations have spent the past year working closely to integrate technology and clinical best practices,” he says. “We are proud to say the transition was successful with no significant issues or concerns.”

Expanding Specialty Services

A key component of the collaboration is the expansion of pediatric subspecialties, including neurology, orthopedics, endocrinology, and gastroenterology. These areas are prioritized based on community needs and access challenges.

“Our service line prioritization with Nicklaus Children’s is complex but grounded in data to ensure specialty care growth is strategic and addressing real needs,” Strum says.

Love adds that long wait times and high demand drive the decision-making.

“Families should not have to wait months for an appointment,” he says. “Our goal is to bring wait times down by increasing access to care in Broward County.”

The expansion also focuses on coordinated care for chronic conditions and access to multidisciplinary teams, helping ensure that children with complex needs receive comprehensive treatment locally.

A Vision for the Future

Looking ahead, both leaders envision a transformed pediatric care ecosystem in Broward County—one that is more accessible, integrated, and responsive to community needs.

“Success means more specialized care with more access points and more physician availability…meaning every child in Broward County will have convenient access to the most advanced pediatric care within minutes of home,” Strum says.

He also sees the affiliation as a foundation for something even larger.

“The long-term goal is to create a pediatric health network that includes many other partners in the region to further broaden children’s healthcare,” he says.

For Love, success is measured in both access and experience.

“Success would be that no child must wait for the care they need, regardless of how complex that care might be, and that no child must travel long distances to get that care,” he says. “When a child must travel for care it affects the entire family.”

Keeping Families at the Center

While infrastructure and clinical capabilities are critical, both organizations emphasize that the patient and family experience remains central to the collaboration.

“Patients are always at the center of everything we do, and that’s even more true in the pediatric space,” Strum says. “Quite literally every decision we are making with Nicklaus is with Broward County families in mind.”

Nicklaus Children’s reinforces that focus through initiatives such as its Family Advisory Council, which provides direct input from parents and caregivers.

“We believe the Family Advisory Council is our best and first line of ensuring that what we are doing is what is best for our patients and their families,” Love says.

As the affiliation continues to evolve, Broward Health and Nicklaus Children’s are positioning themselves to deliver not only expanded clinical services, but also a more connected, compassionate experience for families—one that keeps care close to home and centered on the needs of children.

For more information, visit BrowardHealth.org/Nicklaus.