In our weekly segment, "A Closer Look," we feature a story from a BTPM NPR reporter. This week, Assistant Managing Editor Ryan Zunner sits down with Reporter Alex Simone to break down the impact of Oishei Children's Hospital changing its name.
Ryan Zunner: Hey, Alex, thanks for joining us today on “A Closer Look.”
Alex Simone: Hey Ryan, thanks for having me.
Zunner: Oishei Children's Hospital will soon become Golisano Children's Hospital, after the largest financial gift in the history of the hospital, or really all of the Kaleida Health Network. Let's listen to a recent comment from Kaleida Health CEO, Don Boyd, describing the impact of the donation.
Don Boyd [Soundbite]: It means so much to now be a part of a network of children's hospitals that have the honor of bearing his name as we understand it. It's the largest gift to a healthcare organization in Western New York's history.
Zunner: $50 million, Alex, that's a pretty massive financial investment.
Simone: Yeah, and as Boyd mentioned during a different part of the event, the Children's Hospital is one of just three freestanding children's hospitals across New York State, and one of 43 across the entire country. So that's 2,000 employees here in Buffalo, all focused on pediatric care.
Zunner: So, this will be the third Golisano Children's Hospital in New York, with one in Rochester, Syracuse. There’s also one in Southwest Florida. We have sound from Golisano Foundation Executive Director, Erica Dayton, about how the new relationship could be an advantage for those seeking health care for their children.
Erica Dayton [Soundbite]: That's going to be more formalized. They're going to have access. If one hospital doesn't have neurosurgery and another does, they can connect. They're going to work together on fundraising. They're going to work together on things like that. This really helps elevate and strengthen the hospitals and the resources that they have at their fingertips.
Simone: So, while the hospital remains a part of the Kaleida Health System, Dayton says it also gains access to new resources through this group of Golisano-supported institutions.
Zunner: So, this change also means the Oishei Foundation will no longer be the primary supporter of the Children's Hospital here in Buffalo. How will that affect the organization's involvement in the Western New York community?
Simone: We actually heard from the Foundation President, Christina Orsi, during this event. She says the group will remain involved, but overall, it's going to shift more toward neighborhood investment. She didn't share specific plans but said that it includes a big focus on families and community development.
Zunner: Alex for Golisano, this isn't a one-off either. He unveiled a whole philanthropic plan that's spread across much of the state back in September, right?
Simone: So in the fall, he announced more than $350 million in planned donations to more than 80 nonprofits, from Syracuse to Buffalo and down south toward Livingston County, Allegheny County. At the time, his planned donation to Oishei was around $10 million, so not really sure how this increase impacts those plans. His other donations include $10 million to Niagara Memorial Medical Center, $10 million to Niagara University, $5 million to Daemen University, and $1.5 million each to several of the SPCA's in Western New York.
Zunner: Very interesting, Alex. Thanks for your reporting on this. If you want to listen to or read any of Alex's reporting, you can head to btpm.org/news. For “A Closer Look,” I'm Ryan Zunner.
