Newswise — Columbus Children's Hospital officially became Nationwide Children's Hospital today in honor of a transformational gift from Nationwide Foundation and the landmark impact it will have on the delivery of world-class pediatric health care in central Ohio and beyond.
In June 2006, the hospital announced it had received a ten-year, $50 million commitment from Nationwide Foundation as part of its capital fundraising campaign, "Change Their Tomorrow." The gift was directed to support expansion of programs and construction of a new main hospital that further positions the hospital as one of the nation's top pediatric health care and research facilities. It was one of the largest philanthropic gifts ever from a corporate foundation in the U.S. and also one of the top five largest single gifts ever given to a children's hospital nationally or internationally.* In recognition of the Nationwide Foundation gift, the hospital's trustees voted to re-name the hospital Nationwide Children's Hospital.
"During the last decade, Nationwide Children's Hospital has emerged as a national leader in pediatric care and research," said Abigail S. Wexner, chairman of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Inc. and Nationwide Children's Hospital Boards of Trustees.
"This transformational commitment from the Nationwide Foundation further cements our ability to be among the world's leaders in pediatric care, research and education. At the same time, it enhances our founding mission of providing the best pediatric care available anywhere in the nation to all of our children in Central Ohio, regardless of a family's ability to pay."
Already the fifth largest children's hospital in the U.S. and among the top ten in National Institutes of Health-funded freestanding pediatric research centers, Nationwide Children's Hospital serves as the free-standing children's hospital for all of central and southeastern Ohio as well as receiving hundreds of specialty referrals from throughout the United States and worldwide. Nationwide Children's is also home to The Ohio State University College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics.
"This gift reflects our philanthropic focus of helping people in critical moments," said Jerry Jurgensen, Nationwide CEO. "When families come to Nationwide Children's Hospital, they're often dealing with a very stressful situation. We're pleased that this gift will enable Children's to provide the best possible care for children and their families, and further solidify its position as a leader in pediatric care and research."
In the fall of 2005, the hospital announced an ambitious $740 million seven-year strategic expansion effort which includes planned investments in facilities, patient care and research programs, and talent recruitment.
"Our name change represents the tremendous strides this hospital has made over the last 115 years to become the national powerhouse in pediatric health care that it is today, showing what can be done when a community supports an organization's mission and vision," Nationwide Children's Hospital CEO Steve Allen, M.D., said. "As a national leader in pediatric healthcare, we are gratified to be impacting the lives of children and their families from throughout the United States and around the world."
Nationwide Children's Hospital is ranked 12th on U.S. News & World Report's 2007 list of "America's Best Children's Hospitals;" a top 10 children's hospital and first place in the U.S. for providing outstanding pediatric emergency medical care according to Child magazine's "Best Children's Hospitals" 2006 survey; among the Top Hospitals in The Leapfrog Group's 2006 list; and among America's leading non-profits on the Philanthropy 400 list. Nationwide Children's was also the first freestanding children's hospital in Ohio to receive "Magnet Recognition" (the highest honor for excellence in nursing) by the American Nurses Credentialing Center of the American Nurses Association and was named as one of the three "Best Places to Work" among large employers in Columbus Business First's Best Places to Work Survey.
*based on published resources June 2006
The Nationwide Foundation is an independent nonprofit organization funded by contributions from Nationwide companies. Founded in 1959, the Nationwide Foundation has committed more than $169 million since 2000 to help nonprofit organizations in communities where Nationwide associates and their families live and work. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.
Nationwide is a federally registered service mark of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.
To access the new Nationwide Children's Hospital logo, go to http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/newsroom
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