MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The president of WVU Hospitals says a $28 million gift to WVU Medicine Children’s will help save lives.
Dr. Michael Grace said the gift from entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader Thomas Golisano is transformational.
“He saw in us a mission-driven organization much in the way of how he himself is philanthropic and decided to do good things for children,” Grace said Wednesday on MetroNews “Talkline.”
The name of WVU Medicine Children’s is changing to WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s.
The gift is unrestricted, giving Grace and staff the ability to address immediate needs in care across the state and the growing network of pediatric clinics.
“Children who need care in settings that really aren’t available right now in our state,” Grace said. “There are real-life examples of children that have to be transferred to the state of Oklahoma for step-down care.”
Grace said they’ll also be able to shorten the expected implementation of longer-term projects relating to the mental health of children. The addition of care options will provide options for families that could have had to leave the state to get them.
“It will help speed up some program developments we had planned for the next three to five years,” Grace said. “Particularly in the pediatric and adolescent mental health space and intellectual disabilities and neurodevelopmental disorders.”
Anxiety problems, behavior disorders, and depression are the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders in children ages 3 to 17, according to data from the CDC. That data also shows 16 percent of adolescents are on prescription medication to help with their emotions, concentration, behavior, or mental health.
“Just that fact that your mental health is just as important as your physical health,” Grace said. “A lot of times people don’t realize the importance of emphasizing the need of enhancing care in that space.”
As part of the gift, WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s will become part of a nationwide network dedicated to improving care and outcomes. Other organizations in the network include:
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center
Penn State Health Children’s Hospital
University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital
University of Maryland Children’s Hospital
University of Vermont Children’s Hospital
Golisano Children’s Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center
Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital at SUNY Upstate Medical University
Golisano Children’s Hospital Lee Health
John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital
“This alliance will be more than just presidents and CEOs getting together to talk about programmatic development and collaboration,” Grace said. “It will be the boots-on-the-ground caregivers in the alliance getting together to discuss the things.”
Signage and marketing materials will soon be changing for the hospital to mark the name change.
Golisano, the founder of Paychex, is credited with transforming communities and institutions across the United States through his generosity.