Our Hospitals
Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters is the only freestanding , full-service children's hospital in Virginia and serves the medical and surgical needs of children throughout greater Hampton Roads, the Eastern Shore of Virginia and northeastern North Carolina.
This year marks the 30th anniversary that Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD) has been helping children diagnosed with cancer. The program has grown tremendously and today CHKD is the only non-military pediatric oncology treatment center for a pediatric population of approximately 475,000. Each year approximately 75 new oncology patients are diagnosed and another 10-15 patients experience recurrences. CHKD’s comprehensive team, which includes physicians, nurses, social workers, child life specialists, educational consultants, a nutritionist, and chaplains, delivers comprehensive, patient/family centered care with medical and psychosocial treatments. In addition, our Late Effects program follows survivors up to age 21 (or until they graduate college) and we work collaboratively with the local children’s hospice to offer a palliative care program.
CHKD’s Oncology Program has been a member of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) since its inception in 2002, and prior to that was an affiliate member of the Children’s Cancer Group. The principal research activity is the enrollment of patients on therapeutic and biologic studies with the COG, which allows us to offer cutting-edge treatments to oncology patients. Dr. Eric Lowe has been CHKD’s principal investigator for COG since the fall of 2006. Under his leadership, we have seen a 170 percent increase in our COG enrollments over the past two years. We currently have 73 COG total open studies.
Almost all children in southeast Virginia and northeast North Carolina diagnosed with cancer will rely on CHKD. As such, we have an awesome responsibility to provide the very best. As you know, caring for children facing this devastating disease requires special expertise. CHKD not only provides medical treatment, but we also nurture the child’s spirit and provide resources that families need to cope during this life-threatening illness.
CHKD addresses all aspects of caring for children, including chemotherapy, diagnostic evaluations, stem cell transplants, blood and blood products administration, pain management, and surgery. We also provide clinical research, educational and specialist training programs, long-term follow-up care and support groups that tackle cancer’s impact on the entire family.
Funds raised help sustain this critical service right here in our own community for children who are battling cancer. By offering COG studies, children are receiving state-of-the-art care in their community rather than traveling great distances that further complicate families already overwhelmed by this life-threatening illness.