The Sociedad Pro Hospital del Niño is a nonprofit organization founded in 1924, dedicated to providing specialized care to children with complex health conditions.
1924: The organization was founded as the Society to Prevent Tuberculosis in Children under the leadership of Dr. José Rodríguez Pastor. A group of citizens came together to provide treatment to children affected by tuberculosis, a highly prevalent disease at the time.
1929: The first phase of the building that now houses our facilities was constructed, then known as “El Preventorio de Guaynabo,” intended for children at risk of contracting tuberculosis.
1939: The institution expanded its services to care for children with illnesses requiring extended stays, convalescence, and rehabilitation. During the polio epidemic, services for post-acute cases were added, and the name was changed to “Institute of Orthopedics and Bone Tuberculosis.”
1964: The institution was renamed Sociedad Pro Hospital del Niño, incorporating resources and medical equipment to treat chronic and post-acute polio conditions.
Today, we are the only pediatric skilled nursing home in Puerto Rico offering long-term stay and convalescence services for patients aged 0 to 21, who are referred and under the custody of the Department of Family. We currently have the capacity to care for 37 children with chronic or severe physical and mental conditions.
In addition to our residential health facility, we operate two additional programs that have a significant impact on the community:
• Therapeutic Services: We serve approximately 3,000 children across the island through contracts with the Department of Health under its “Avanzando Juntos” program, as well as with the Department of Education. These therapies are offered in homes, schools, and at our center located in San Juan.
• Centro de Aprendizaje del Niño: An elementary school with the capacity to serve up to 120 children between the ages of 2 and 9. It is designed to provide education and specialized care for children diagnosed with language disorders, social communication difficulties (pragmatics), sensory disorders, learning challenges, and levels 1 and 2 of the autism spectrum.
