Improving the Health of Today's and
Tomorrow's Children

The UCLA Department of Pediatrics was founded in 1950, and the Marion Davies Children’s Health Center construction was completed in 1962. Since that time, we have grown to include affiliations with Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Martin Luther King/Drew University, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Olive View Medical Center. The Children’s Health Center was moved to 200 Medical Plaza in 1990, and in the last three years, we have expanded our outpatient sites in the community. Our goals are patient care, teaching, and research to meet the missions of the Department and the University. Known worldwide for its research and expertise in complex procedures, UCLA Medical Center year after year is ranked among the leaders in pediatrics by U.S. News and World Report's annual survey of "America's Best Hospitals."

In 1995, we became a member of the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI), and classified as a "hospital within a hospital." Through NACHRI, Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA is involved in grassroots legislation for children's issues. Our board members, faculty and administrator have met with representatives at the city, state, and federal levels to express concern with legislation affecting our children and the ability to render healthcare. We focus on these issues because children do not have a voice in determining policy that will directly impact their lives. In 1998, the hospital was renamed the Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA in recognition gift to the hospital by Mattel, Inc.

Watch a video tour of Mattel Children's Hospital, or a photo tour of the operating and recovery rooms with our Child Life Specialists, who talk to our young patients about their surgery.