MORGANTOWN — WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital received an extraordinary boost Tuesday through a $28 million unrestricted gift from Thomas Golisano, entrepreneur, philanthropist and civic leader whose vision and generosity have transformed communities and WV institutions across the United States.
The gift was presented by Golisano to a delegation of WVU Medicine senior leaders at the Golisano Institute for Business and Entrepreneurship in Brighton, New York. To commemorate this historic moment and honor Golisano’s legacy, WVU Medicine Children’s will now be known as WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s.
This transformative investment will accelerate the mission of the hospital and its affiliated clinics to provide world-class care for children and families across West Virginia and the broader region through both its main campus and its growing network of community-based pediatric clinics.
“Mr. Golisano’s gift is a powerful statement of belief in our mission and in the future of children’s health,” Michael A. Grace, M.B.A., Ed.D., F.A.C.H.E., president and CEO of West Virginia University Hospitals, said. “His generosity will help fuel innovation, expand pediatric services, and strengthen our ability to deliver life-changing care to children across our region.”
WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s now joins nine other hospitals across the country as part of the newly created Golisano Children’s Alliance, a first-of-its-kind national network of children’s hospitals dedicated to sharing best practices in patient care, quality improvement, innovation, and inclusion.
The Alliance unites six newly funded children’s hospitals, including WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s, with four existing Golisano-supported hospitals in New York and Florida. Together, the 10 hospitals will collaborate to strengthen pediatric care, expand access and create a nationally recognized model of excellence in children’s health.
The other hospitals in the Alliance include:
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center
Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, which received a $50 million gift from Golisano Tuesday
University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital
University of Maryland Children’s Hospital
University of Vermont Children’s Hospital
Golisano Children’s Hospitals 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
“Mr. Golisano’s generosity does more than support WVU Medicine Children’s; it brings us into an alliance of like-minded hospitals dedicated to improving outcomes for children everywhere,” Christopher Mascio, M.D., executive chair of WVU Medicine Children’s, said. “Together, we will share knowledge, collaborate on innovation, and push the boundaries of what’s possible in pediatric care.”
Over the coming months, WVU Medicine Children’s will update signage and materials to reflect its new name. For now, the focus remains on celebrating this historic moment, one that strengthens WVU Medicine Children’s ability to care for kids throughout West Virginia and beyond.
About Tom Golisano
Tom Golisano, entrepreneur, philanthropist and civic leader, is the founder of Paychex Inc., the nation’s largest human resource company for small to medium-sized businesses. Golisano’s vision, perseverance and action have left an indelible mark on a broad spectrum of issues that touch our lives in business, healthcare, education, animal welfare, voter policies, politics and tax reform. His investments are advancing entrepreneurship and driving the success of numerous businesses and start-ups. His philanthropic contributions to education, hospitals — including multiple children’s hospitals across the country that bear his name and numerous other organizations — exceeds $1 billion.
A fierce advocate for dignity and inclusion, in 1985, Golisano applied his pioneering spirit to establish 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 U.S. devoted to supporting programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities awarding grants to nonprofit organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida.
Golisano formed and financially supports the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship, where students receive a high-quality business certificate and write their own entrepreneurial success stories, without having to take on enormous debt.
He is the author of two Books, “Built Not Born,” a Wall Street Journal best seller, and “The Italian Kid Did It!”
WVUMedicine.org
