Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital
Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital provides exceptional, comprehensive care to thousands of sick and injured children from its 22-county service area every year. In 2021, despite the many challenges related to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Children’s Hospital again benefited from a tremendous outpouring of support from individual, community, school, corporate and other sources. Last year the Upstate Foundation raised over $2.7 million for pediatric programs and services.
Donations to Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital help provide essential funding for programs and services aimed at enhancing the well-being of pediatric patients, often beyond the traditional health care model. Led by Chief of Pediatrics Gregory Conners, MD, an allocations committee of community physicians, Upstate hospital administrators and staff, and retail partners recommended funding for 26 initiatives across departments and disciplines at the Children’s Hospital. A few are described below:
- new transport monitor for medical teams moving a critically ill child from another facility, including those outside the region, to the Children’s Hospital;
- materials for Child Life programs and services, including toys, games and movies, as well as special dinners and holiday celebrations;
- funding for the social work team to assist families with expenses not covered by insurance, such as unexpected emergency expenses, travel, meals, clothing, and sometimes a rent or mortgage
payment, so parents can focus on their sick child and not on making ends meet; and
- “Let’s Talk Shots,” an innovative new program to educate parents, families and providers on the importance of vaccinations for children, a practical approach to boosting vaccine confidence.