Together, for healthier children.
A Bold Vision for Children’s Health
Great tomorrows begin with the lofty dreams of
worldwide uproot their lives to travel here seeking
today. At Cincinnati Children’s, our view of the
the best care for the children they love.
future is framed by a singular vision: to be the leader in improving child health. It starts here in Cincinnati and surrounding
We see a future where our discoveries provide new hope and end suffering from pediatric diseases for children around the world. A future
communities. We envision a region where
where all children, no matter where they live, can
all babies are born healthy, in safe, nurturing
have access to the best care.
environments. Where school-aged kids are ready to learn. And where an integrated system of care is in place to meet children’s physical and emotional
At Cincinnati Children’s, our world-class research drives our world-class care. We have pioneered many major medical
needs. We see a future where the children of
breakthroughs over the years. Innovative
Cincinnati are among the healthiest in the nation.
technologies like the first practical heart-lung
But our vision—and our reach and impact—
machine, pioneering surgical procedures for
does not end at home. Cincinnati Children’s is a
tracheal reconstruction and game-changing
national and international referral center. Families
vaccines for life-threatening diseases like
from every state and from dozens of countries
rotavirus and polio.
Partnership Matters Our research teams have pushed the
Thanks to your generous support, for more
boundaries of pediatric medicine and saved the
than 130 years Cincinnati Children’s has been
lives of hundreds of thousands of infants and
a beacon of hope—for children right here in
children—here in Greater Cincinnati, across the
our community and, increasingly, from around
United States and around the world.
the world. And we’re dedicated to making
Yet, we believe our greatest innovations are ahead.
sure that we’re here for the next century
We invite you to be part of our journey, one that
and beyond. Thriving, leading, impacting
traces back to 1883. As a nonprofit hospital and
child health in remarkable ways. That’s why
research center, we depend on private philanthropy
we’ve launched the Change the Outcome
to fully achieve our vision.
Campaign—to improve the health and lives
Together, we can advance discovery to benefit
of children. I invite you to join us in this effort.
more children. Together, we can uncover new
Together, we can change Cincinnati and the
treatments and cures for children and families,
world…one child, one family at a time.
when they need it most. Together, we can keep kids safe and healthy. Together, we can Change the Outcome. Michael Fisher President & CEO
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“As a social worker, I do everything I can to help parents cope with their child’s medical condition. Together, we navigate through social and emotional problems that may arise, and find the support and resources that are needed so families can focus on what’s most important—their child.” Susan Fletcher, MSW, LISW-S
Determined to Beat Rare and Relapsed Cancers When my daughter, Isabella, was 22-months-old, she came down with what seemed Monica, grateful mother of Isabella like a regular flu. But when she developed a high fever and stopped eating, I knew it was something more, so I brought her to Cincinnati Children’s. After several tests and blood work, I heard the words that no parent should ever have to endure—Isabella has leukemia. The experts in the Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute (CBDI) at Cincinnati Children’s began working with our family to develop the best treatment plan for Isabella. They worked with me, giving me the information I needed to make decisions without paralyzing me with fear. I knew we had a tough
battle ahead of us, but I had complete trust in the CBDI team. I was confident that their brilliance, innovation and calculated risk-taking would save my little girl. And our fight against leukemia began. The medical component was only part of the care we received. While Isabella was in treatment, Cincinnati Children’s became our home and her care providers became our extended family. They were there when Isabella learned to walk, and she had doctors and nurses by her side as she celebrated her birthdays at the medical center. It’s been a long fight, but after five years of treatment and two bone marrow transplants, Isabella has been cancer-free for more than a year, and we have Cincinnati Children’s to thank. If my arms were big enough, I’d wrap them around the whole hospital.
Breathing New Life Into Kids My son Jaevon was an energetic 3-year-old. Playing outside was all he ever wanted Jamie, grateful mother of Jaevon to do—even his allergies couldn’t keep him from running around and playing with friends. Then, one night, he began gasping for breath. I rushed him to Cincinnati Children’s, where he was diagnosed with severe allergic asthma. Our lives completely changed that day. Suddenly, every decision we made came down to whether or not it would trigger an asthma attack. Even then, we were frequent visitors to the emergency department. For Jaevon, asthma was the end of the life he loved. He watched his friends throw the football outside as I gave him breathing treatments. Riding his bike was replaced with sitting on the sofa with his inhaler always within reach.
Even his indoor activities were limited. Jaevon didn’t have the breath he needed in his lungs to play his favorite instrument—the trumpet. Instead, he had to learn the violin. For six years, my son lived a childhood defined and dictated by asthma. Then, when he was 9, the experts at Cincinnati Children’s recommended an innovative new treatment that was geared to help kids, like Jaevon, who suffer from asthma triggered by allergies. Those treatments gave my son his life back. Today, Jaevon is an 11-year-old with that same spark I saw when he was 3. He plays football, baseball and basketball and has happily packed away his violin…because now he is learning to play the trumpet. His life is so much better now, thanks to Cincinnati Children’s.
“Working closely with Jaevon’s family, we were able to get him on a novel therapy that changed his life. It’s been a tremendous joy to watch him go from a sick little boy, missing out on the activities he loved, to a vibrant young man who is enjoying life again.” Carolyn Kercsmar, MD
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“A hospital stay can be very stressful for a child— and for the whole family. Our playrooms provide a fun, safe place, where children and families can take a break from medical treatments and just play. Our Child Life team does our best to provide a place of normalcy…where families can focus on just being a family.” Angie Baker, Child Life Clinical Coordinator
Providing Hope for Families Near and Far When my husband and I found out that we were expecting our second child, we couldn’t have been Jill, grateful mother of Isaac more thrilled. But at my 24-week ultrasound, our excitement quickly turned to fear. That’s when we learned that our son, Isaac, had a host of birth defects, including a severe form of spina bifida and a rare condition in which his organs were growing outside of his body. I remember a doctor at our hometown hospital saying the words “not compatible with life,” and I thought I would be planning a funeral instead of preparing his nursery.
Then a family member suggested that we travel to Cincinnati Children’s, and everything changed. We met with a care team who gave us a comprehensive view of our son’s health. And with a level of confidence that we hadn’t seen before, they told us that there was no reason that our son couldn’t live a happy life. For the first time, there was a ray of hope. When Isaac was born, he was immediately transferred to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Cincinnati Children’s. He had his first of many surgeries when he was only a day old. To this day, we continue to travel to Cincinnati for his care. Now an energetic 3-year-old, Isaac has more personality than anyone I’ve ever met. My husband and I joke that this is Isaac’s world, and he’s nice enough to let us in it. And we owe that world to Cincinnati Children’s—they definitely changed Isaac’s outcome.
Caring for Children Around the World Something was wrong with our daughter, Nourah. She went from an active 3-year-old Nawaf, grateful father of Nourah to being lethargic and weak, coughing and even turning blue. She was desperately ill, and we did not know why. We visited with specialists all over Kuwait. Finally, we learned Nourah had a very rare lung disease called pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP). But there was no one in our country who could give her the care she needed. We searched the world for doctors who could help Nourah, and we found them at Cincinnati Children’s. The US and Kuwaiti embassies worked together to get travel visas for our family and arranged the 6,800-mile trip. Once we arrived at Cincinnati Children’s, Nourah was able to get the care she needed to survive—whole lung lavage. She needs this complex procedure every four to eight weeks, so we remain in Cincinnati. But the experts at Cincinnati Children’s are working to train
doctors in Kuwait so one day, we can go home, and Nourah will still be able to get the care she needs. Thanks to research at Cincinnati Children’s, we have also learned that PAP can be hereditary. Nourah’s cousin also has the condition and came to Cincinnati for care. Now pregnant with our second child, we were scared about the future. Thankfully, genetic testing at Cincinnati Children’s confirmed that our new baby will not have to battle this devastating disease. You can imagine our relief. Nourah’s journey is far from over, but Cincinnati Children’s continues to research new therapies for a cure. They give us hope for Nourah’s future.
“Cincinnati Children’s offers outstanding patient care side-by-side with outstanding research. It’s a combination that makes this one of the best places on the planet to do pulmonary research. It is gratifying to see the impact our research has on saving the lives of children, like Nourah.” Bruce Trapnell, MD, physician-researcher
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Fighting for the Smallest Patients When our daughter, Mia, was born 12 weeks early, weighing only 2½ pounds, we knew she was Graeme, grateful father of Mia going to have to be a fighter. Thankfully, she had the experts at Cincinnati Children’s battling for her life right beside her. Mia developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a condition that destroys the bowels of newborns— especially fragile, premature babies, like Mia. She needed specialized care and was immediately transported to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Cincinnati Children’s.
When we arrived, the outlook for Mia was pretty grim, but the experts at Cincinnati Children’s didn’t give up. We worked together to develop a care plan to save our little girl. It didn’t take long for us to realize that we were in a very special place. We knew Mia was in the best possible hands with the doctors and nurses at Cincinnati Children’s, but what we didn’t expect was the amazing care they gave to my wife and me. I will never forget the emotional support we received from the wonderful people at the hospital during the most difficult time in our lives. After eight long months and six surgeries, we were finally able to bring Mia home. Today, she is a vibrant 6-year-old who loves playing in her jumpy castle and wrestling with me. She lost half of her bowel during her battle and will suffer from digestive problems for the rest of her life, but I know her team will be with us every step of the way. Cincinnati Children’s gave us back our daughter and changed our family forever.
“Mia’s newborn care is long-since complete, but we continue to provide follow-up care to help her reach her full potential. That’s one of the things that makes Cincinnati Children’s special. Our patients become part of our family, and our staff has a passion to make a difference—to help every child achieve their best future.” Shehzad Saeed, MD
Supporting the Promise
Caring for patients from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Cincinnati Children’s provides hope and healing to families when they need us most. One of the busiest children’s hospitals in the country, Cincinnati Children’s is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best. Our care teams provide expertise across every pediatric specialty, and by working hand-in-hand with our patients and their families, we deliver the best possible care for each child. From common childhood conditions to lifethreatening diseases that demand the most complex and sophisticated care available, our world-renowned clinicians and researchers are at the forefront of innovation and discovery. The results are seen and felt in our region and globally as well. Every choice we make, every dollar we invest, supports our promise to Change the Outcome. That commitment is made real each day as we renew hope for patients who just a few years ago might have settled for a lesser quality of life or, worse, might not have survived. All children deserve nothing less than the life-saving care and groundbreaking research taking place at Cincinnati Children’s.
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Research That Changes Lives
Cincinnati Children’s has a long history of breakthrough discoveries and innovations that have changed the face of pediatric medicine. We’re best known for the groundbreaking
• Neurologist Tracy Glauser, MD, bioinformatics
research of Albert Sabin, MD, who developed
researcher John Pestian, PhD, and
the oral polio vaccine more than 50 years ago,
pharmacologist Alexander Vinks, PharmD, PhD,
virtually eradicating the dreaded disease. Other
developed a technology that helps doctors
achievements, among many:
prescribe the right drug at the right dose
• Cardiologist Samuel Kaplan, MD, joined surgeon
for patients with psychiatric conditions. This
James Helmsworth, MD, and chemist Leland Clark, PhD, to develop the world’s first functional heart-lung machine, which made modern-day heart surgery possible. • Jeffrey Whitsett, MD, and Timothy Weaver, PhD, pioneered the use of surfactant proteins, transforming care for premature infants and saving an estimated 2,000 lives a year in the United States and many more worldwide. • Richard Ward, PhD, and David Bernstein, MD, developed a vaccine for rotavirus, a gastrointestinal virus that is one of the leading causes of childhood death worldwide. To date, more than 30 million children have received the vaccine in more than 100 countries.
innovation is personalizing care and improving treatments for thousands of patients. Today, across more than 50 research divisions, our teams continue to generate new discoveries. Our clinical and research pioneers are working together to tease out the secrets of human development and disease. They are developing new technologies to detect precise levels of medication coursing through a child with cancer. They are making new advances with child-sized artificial hearts and tiny devices that change how bones grow. With your support, many more amazing discoveries will emerge in the years to come, all to improve the health of children in Cincinnati and around the world.
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The Campaign for Cincinnati Children’s Until every child reaches optimal health, until every childhood disease is cured,
children, especially those at-risk, we can transform
we have more to do.
Cincinnati and impact generations to come.
Even in these uncertain times, as the healthcare
II. A dvancing discovery to improve child health.
landscape continues to shift around us, we must
Our commitment to improving care for children
move forward to change the outcome for more kids.
through the application of research and discovery
We have exceptional talent—world-class faculty
is the backbone of Cincinnati Children’s. We know
and staff, committed leaders and volunteers, and local,
that research drives healthcare innovation. It’s the
national and international partners. And we have the
foundation for the cures of tomorrow.
knowledge and the will to do more. With your help, we
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By focusing on the holistic development of all
And time matters when a child’s life hangs in
will continue to invest in the people, the partnerships
the balance. That’s why we will invest in genomics
and the programs that make a difference for our
research to quicken the pace of discovery and
patients and their families.
translate new knowledge from the lab to the patient
Plans call for furthering two major commitments
bedside. From new drug discovery to personalized
that will define the future of Cincinnati Children’s:
therapies to support for innovative clinical trials, we
I. Helping Cincinnati’s children become the healthiest in the nation. We will continue to provide the best healthcare anywhere to the children of Greater Cincinnati. But to truly improve child health, we must do more than provide expert care for childhood disease and injury. That’s why we will increase our investment in initiatives that focus on prevention and wellness. Partnering with families, schools, community
will focus our resources to harness the power of genomics to battle disease. We will also expand our national networks and international collaborations to extend our reach to benefit more children. And we will continue to recruit the world’s best talent to drive innovation and advance key clinical and surgical programs, including cancer, heart and perinatal care. Change the Outcome: The Campaign for Cincinnati
agencies and others, we will expand and intensify
Children’s, with a goal of $250 million by 2018, will
our reach beyond the walls of the medical center
support both of these essential strategies. And you
to address non-medical issues that can contribute
can help. Gifts of every size make a difference. From
to poor health. Factors like social, legal and
current cash gifts to legacy giving to gifts of stocks
environmental concerns that can impact a child’s
and other securities, you can help transform the life of
readiness to learn and future success.
a child. You can Change the Outcome.
Campaign at a glance $250 Million TOTAL GOAL
Helping Cincinnati’s Children Become the Healthiest in the Nation
$125 Million
Focusing on community wellness partnerships and health initiatives to address: • Infant Mortality • Mental Health • Asthma Education and Prevention • Obesity • Injury Prevention • Holistic Child Development Advancing Discovery to Improve Child Health
$125 Million
Campaign Leadership
Focusing on transforming care through research and collaboration: • Creation of a Pediatric Genomics Center • Advancing Key Clinical Initiatives and Destination Programs • Expanding National Networks and International Collaborations
Kevin T. Kabat Campaign Co-Chair Vice Chairman & CEO Fifth Third Bancorp Thomas G. Cody, Esq. Campaign Co-Chair Chairman, Board of Trustees, Cincinnati Children’s Retired Vice Chairman, Macy’s Inc. S. Kay Geiger Vice-Chair President, PNC Bank Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Gary “Doc” Huffman Vice-Chair Chairman, President and CEO Ohio National Financial Services Carol H. Armstrong Michael Fisher Deborah “Deb” A. Henretta Gary L. Heiman Lindner Family
Physician Advisors Brian D. Coley, MD
Punam Malik, MD
Stella M. Davies, MBBS, PhD, MRCP
Monica Mitchell, PhD
Thomas G. Dewitt, MD, FAAP James M. Greenberg, MD Margaret K. Hostetter, MD
Ralph S. Michael, III
Cheryl Hoying, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, FAAN
Latondra K. Newton
Robert S. Kahn, MD, MPH
Jane D. Portman
Uma R. Kotagal, MBBS, MSc
Louis J. Muglia, MD, PhD John P. Perentesis, MD, FAAP Michael T. Sorter, MD Lori J. Stark, PhD, ABPP Daniel von Allmen, MD Russell E. Ware, MD, PhD
Investing in the Future As a nonprofit hospital and research center, Cincinnati Children’s continually reinvests in our community and our mission. We’ve been a trusted resource for more than 130
Medicaid reimbursements deepen, affecting nearly
years, thanks to careful planning and leadership,
half of our patient population. Not at a time when
generations of good stewardship and prudent
virtually nothing is sacred, not even government
fiscal management. Our stability and reliability can
research funding for childhood diseases.
also be credited, in no small part, to the foresight
Much is at stake. Hundreds of babies in our
and generosity of our donors, most notably
15-county metropolitan region still die in their
William Cooper Procter. His gift in the 1920s—
first year of life. Our nation still lags behind many
valued at $38 million in today’s dollars—provided
other developed countries in key health measures.
the foundation for the world-class institution we
Children around the world still suffer from
are today.
preventable or manageable diseases.
Now it’s time to call forth a new generation of visionaries, champions and philanthropists. Why a campaign? Why now? Simply put, our resources alone are no longer sufficient to fully
The Change the Outcome Campaign will help position us for the future and further align our resources with our aspirations. To keep the momentum going in these
advance our vision for improving child health—
uncertain economic times, and achieve
in Greater Cincinnati and far beyond.
our vision for children, we must rely on
Not as the healthcare landscape continues to shift in unpredictable ways. Not as cutbacks in
partnerships and philanthropy—now more than ever.
The Impact of Your Partnership All that we have achieved for children and families, we have done in partnership with those who share our vision. Our donors will continue to play a vital part in
• Care for all. No child in our community is ever
our successes—and measureable results—as
turned away because of their family’s inability to
they invest in our mission. Together, we can:
pay. Last year we provided more than $250 million
• Provide unsurpassed care. Cincinnati Children’s ranks in the top 10 nationally for every pediatric
in free or discounted services to families in need. • Pioneer the next life-saving discovery. The
specialty rated by U.S. News & World Report—and
work of Albert Sabin, MD, continues to inspire us
among the top three overall in the latest list of the
to create healthier futures for children. From our
nation’s best children’s hospitals.
innovative clinical trials to help children suffering
• Improve health, not just healthcare. Working hand-in-hand with community partners, we are tackling tough problems that impact health. From
with sickle cell disease to technologies to predict risk of suicide, we are driven to innovate. • Enrich our community. As one of the top
environmental toxins and legal issues affecting
children’s hospitals in the country, we attract families
families to reading initiatives and school readiness,
from across the nation and around the world. We
we are focused on holistic child development to
also attract the most talented doctors and scientists,
improve wellness.
and their families, to Cincinnati—strengthening our neighborhoods, schools and businesses.
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Please Join Us There is much at stake for families who turn to the medical center when their lives take sudden, unexpected turns. Cincinnati Children’s has an impressive track
Your generous gift can transform a child’s life
record—more than 130 years of staying power—
and leave a lasting legacy to our city and region,
and the resolve to make a difference for
nation and world.
every child. Please join us. Together, we can accelerate
Together, we can Change the Outcome… one child, one family at a time.
this work and create healthier futures for the children and families who need us. No matter what you are most passionate about in the area of child health, you can find a
Kevin T. Kabat Campaign Co-Chair Vice Chairman and CEO, Fifth Third Bancorp
place in this campaign to invest your time, your heart and your resources. As a nonprofit hospital and research center, Cincinnati Children’s relies on the support of donors large and small.
Thomas G. Cody Campaign Co-Chair Retired Vice Chairman, Macy’s Inc. Chairman, Board of Trustees, Cincinnati Children’s
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Department of Development, MLC 9002 3333 Burnet Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45229-3026 P 513-636-4561 cincinnatichildrens.org/campaign