Children’s of Alabama Board Officers Temple Tutwiler, James Lee III, Walker Jones, and Charles MayerIn further support of a partnership through which faculty in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine provide patient care and conduct cutting-edge research at Children’s of Alabama, the Board of Trustees of Children’s has voted to pledge $5 million to The Campaign for UAB: Give Something, Change Everything to support UAB pediatric initiatives.
“The Children’s board of trustees is pleased to show our support for The Campaign for UAB and to bolster our collaborative efforts to improve the health of children,” said James C. Lee III, chair of Children’s Board.
A powerful alliance allows UAB and Children’s to leverage unique strengths and resources to pursue a joint mission — to offer world-class pediatric health services in an environment that fosters world-class research, excellence in medical education, and access to leading-edge treatments for pediatric illnesses and injuries.
Recruiting renowned physicians and scientists is essential to continued success and growth. Respected physicians enhance clinical capacity and reputation, while top-tier research recruits represent potential new treatments and cures, and often bring significantly funded projects. Attracting additional world-class physicians and scientists to UAB and Children’s is a strategic priority for both institutions.
“This extraordinary gift from Children’s reflects the new energy of our institutions’ collaborative efforts in pediatrics, not only with the Department of Pediatrics, but with our child-focused efforts in surgery and psychiatry as well,” said Selwyn M. Vickers, M.D., senior vice president and dean of the UAB School of Medicine.
It is expected that a substantial portion of the gift will be earmarked for the most pressing initiatives in the Department of Pediatrics, including the recruitment of more physician-scientists for targeted areas of highest need. Mitchell Cohen, M.D., was recently recruited to serve as both chair of the UAB Department of Pediatrics and physician in chief of Children’s of Alabama.
| To support these efforts through The Campaign for UAB, give now to the School of Medicine. |
“For the past six years, Children’s has focused a tremendous amount of energy and resources to bringing the most modern, world-class pediatric medical facility in the country online,” said Mike Warren, CEO and President of Children’s of Alabama. “This remarkable effort was crowned with the opening of the Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children and extended by major upgrades of existing facilities and technologies. But buildings don’t heal children. It is now time to turn our attention to the people and programs that do. This gift is a major step in that direction and a tremendous show of faith in the healing power that our combined institutions’ efforts bring to bear on ill and injured children.”
Children’s of Alabama consistently ranks among the best children’s hospital programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, and is the third-largest pediatric medical facility in the United States. As the only hospital in Alabama dedicated solely to the care and treatment of children, Children’s has provided specialized medical care for ill and injured children across the state and throughout the Southeast since 1911. Last year, patients made more than 670,000 outpatient and nearly 14,000 inpatient visits to Children’s from every county in Alabama, 45 states and four foreign countries.
Children’s serves as the primary site of the UAB pediatric medicine, surgery, research and residency programs. Most of the physicians at Children’s are on the faculty in the Department of Pediatrics at UAB. For more than 50 years, the alliance between UAB and Children’s has provided world-class care to the youngest, most vulnerable patients and established Birmingham as a nationally renowned center for pediatric medicine. A legacy of exceptional leadership has been integral to this success. Strong leadership and vision will be even more critical in the coming years as the pace of scientific discovery accelerates, increasing competition among leading hospitals and research institutions for top talent and research funding.
To support these efforts through The Campaign for UAB, give now to the School of Medicine.