KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Children’s Mercy announced a major expansion of its cell and gene therapy program, reinforcing the nationally recognized, independent pediatric health system’s commitment to delivering the most advanced, life-changing treatments for children with complex and rare conditions.

Children’s Mercy will collaborate with Basepath Health, an AI-native operating platform for advanced therapies, combining intelligent workflows and longitudinal patient navigation to establish a next-generation, scalable model for delivering these life-changing treatments across multiple disease states and care settings. With demand rising and more therapies expected in the years ahead, the expansion will increase Children’s Mercy’s capacity and accelerate the pace at which patients can receive these highly specialized treatments—with a goal of outpacing many providers across the Midwest and the nation.

“Children’s Mercy has long been at the forefront of pediatric care, and cell and gene therapies represent the next frontier in what’s possible for kids facing the most complex conditions,” said Alejandro Quiroga, MD, MBA, President and CEO of Children’s Mercy. “By expanding these highly specialized services, we’re helping families access cutting-edge technology and comprehensive support—right here, close to home. This is how we continue to lead and deliver on our promise to bring the very best care to every child, when it matters most.”

Cell and gene therapies are transforming care for children and young adults with rare genetic disorders, aggressive cancers and a growing range of complex diseases. As use of these therapies expands across specialties, from hematology and oncology to neuromuscular and beyond, their potential to address the root cause of disease continues to broaden. While conventional medicine can help manage chronic symptoms, newer options—such as in vivo and ex vivo gene therapies and CAR-T cell therapy—aim to halt or even reverse disease progression, often with a single treatment.

“Cell and gene therapies are opening a new era of hope for children, adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease—treating the root cause, not just the symptoms,” said Shabnam Arsiwala, MD, FAAP, Director of Children’s Mercy’s Sickle Cell Disease Program. “Through our collaboration with Basepath Health, we’re focused on helping more families access these therapies—while surrounding every patient with the comprehensive, family-centered support that’s at the heart of our program.”

Even as new cures arrive rapidly, access remains constrained. Families can face long waits because only a limited number of hospitals can provide these therapies, and the operational and financial requirements are significant. The expanded program is designed to reduce barriers and help more children receive timely treatment in a pediatric setting built for them.

Children’s Mercy will lead clinical care delivery, with Basepath Health enabling a next-generation operating model that streamlines complex, time-sensitive care pathways across pre-treatment, treatment and post-treatment phases—supporting patient identification and education, treatment navigation, and long-term outcomes tracking and reporting required for federally approved therapies. This collaboration is designed to reduce administrative and operational burden on clinical teams, allowing physicians and caregivers to focus on delivering care while maintaining the highest standards of clinical excellence and patient-centered care.

“As more cell and gene therapies come to market, the challenge is how to translate and integrate them into real-world delivery,” said Akshara Reddy, co-founder and CEO of Basepath Health. “Delivering these therapies requires a fundamentally different level of infrastructure, coordination and operational alignment. Basepath enables health systems to do exactly that.”

Children’s Mercy began offering cell and gene therapy more than 10 years ago. In the past year, the health system delivered these personalized therapies to a limited number of patients. Through this collaboration, Children’s Mercy aims to treat five times as many patients in the next four years.

Children’s Mercy currently offers a broad portfolio of FDA-approved cell and gene therapies. Selected examples include Zolgensma^®, Itvisma^®, Elevidys^®, Casgevy^® and Kymriah^®. The program is designed to scale alongside a rapidly evolving pipeline, enabling access to additional therapies as they emerge.

About Children’s Mercy:

Founded in 1897, Children’s Mercy is a nationally recognized, independent pediatric health system and a world leader in pediatric translational research committed to transforming the lives of children and families. With hospitals and specialty clinics across Missouri and Kansas, Children’s Mercy delivers world-class, family-centered care closer to home. As a nonprofit organization, Children’s Mercy reinvests every dollar donated into advancing pediatric medicine, supporting innovative research, and training the next generation of pediatric specialists. With more than 800 pediatric experts, researchers and faculty, we are dedicated to improving outcomes and creating a healthier future for all children. Children’s Mercy has earned repeated recognition from U.S. News & World Report as one of “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals” and is the first health system in Missouri or Kansas to receive six consecutive Magnet designations for nursing excellence. Thanks to generous philanthropic support and a strong volunteer community, Children’s Mercy provides hope, comfort and the prospect of brighter tomorrows to every child who comes through its doors. Visit Children’s Mercy and the Children’s Mercy Research Institute to learn more, and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky and YouTube for the latest news and videos.

About Basepath Health:

Basepath Health is dedicated to expanding access to breakthrough cell and gene therapies. Basepath Health’s AI-native operating platform for advanced therapies combines intelligent workflows across clinical, operational, and financial processes with longitudinal patient navigation. Basepath Health enables health systems to sustainably scale and manage cell and gene therapy delivery from patient identification through long-term outcomes while providing the foundation for value-aligned commercial models with pharmaceutical manufacturers and payers. Learn more at www.basepathhealth.com.

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SOURCE Children’s Mercy