AKRON, Ohio – Akron Children’s has received a $50 million gift from philanthropist, entrepreneur and child health advocate Tom Golisano.
The unrestricted gift is the largest in Akron Children’s history. According to a news release, Akron Children’s will use the funds to support key strategic priorities, including developing clinical services in underserved communities throughout northeastern and southeastern Ohio; expanding congenital heart and cancer care for kids, teenagers and young adults; improving access to behavioral health services throughout the continuum of care; and launching innovative programs that enhance patient engagement and nursing excellence.
To recognize the magnitude and significant impact of the donation, the health system will name its Akron campus the Akron Children’s Golisano Campus.
“This incredible gift from Mr. Golisano is pivotal to Akron Children’s commitment to be the most trusted, inclusive and accessible pediatric health system in the communities we serve,” said Chris Gessner, president and chief executive officer of Akron Children’s.
“His generosity to our health system and the other hospitals in the Golisano Children’s Alliance is a testament to his commitment to improving child health across the country,” Gessner said. “The gift will enable us to expedite our plans to bring highly coordinated, world class pediatric health care as close to our patients’ homes as possible.”
Golisano is the founder of Paychex Inc., the nation’s largest human resource company for small to medium-size businesses. His philanthropic contributions to educational institutions and hospitals, including multiple children’s hospitals across the country that bear his name and numerous other organizations, exceed $1 billion.
In 1985, Golisano established the Golisano Foundation to make the world a better place for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With more than $120 million in gross assets, it is one of the largest private foundations in the United States devoted to supporting programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and awards grants to nonprofit organizations in western New York and southwestern Florida.
“By creating the Golisano Children’s Alliance, we are bringing together leading pediatric health systems committed to improving care for children and families,” Golisano said. “Akron Children’s has demonstrated a strong commitment to meeting families where they are, expanding services in underserved communities and building a healthier future for children across Ohio. Akron Children’s is an important addition to the Golisano Children’s Alliance, and I’m proud to support its vision for growth, collaboration and lasting impact.”
The Golisano Children’s Alliance is a national network of 15 children’s hospitals across the United States united by a shared commitment to improving pediatric health care delivery, advancing innovation and ensuring children and families have access to high-quality, compassionate care.
With its expansion into Cleveland, Marietta, Medina and other regions, Akron Children’s sees even more opportunities to increase access to care close to those in need, the release states.
“As the need for services continues to change and grow in the communities we serve, we are committed to developing innovative solutions to address the gaps or unmet needs in pediatric and maternal-child health care,” said Shelly Brown, chief development officer and executive director of the Akron Children’s Foundation. “Mr. Golisano’s extraordinary generosity is an investment in Akron Children’s and elevates our work as a growing, regional pediatric health system.”
Pictured at top: Tom Golisano, founder of Paychex Inc.