Improving the Health of Children Takes Visionary Support

Improving the health of children

takes visionary support

Established in 2014, the Nationwide Foundation Pediatric Innovation Fund targets strategic investments in pediatric and community health. The Innovation Fund supports several key clinical and research efforts, including behavioral health research, On Our Sleeves, population health, infectious disease, and clinical and translational research.

Tim Robinson, Chief Executive Officer, Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Richard K. Wilson, PhD Executive Director of the Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Elaine R. Mardis, PhD Co-Executive Director of the Institute for Genomic Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital The fund has helped propel the promise of precision medicine into reality through genomics. The Innovation Fund enabled transformational impact by helping make possible the recruitment of world-renowned genomics researchers Richard K. Wilson, PhD and Elaine R. Mardis, PhD to lead the Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine (IGM) in the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s. Today, both Wilson and Mardis hold endowed chairs generously created by the Nationwide Foundation and IGM remains one of the few programs in pediatric personalized genomic medicine in the U.S. and focuses on genomics as the root cause of many childhood diseases. Since establishment in 2016, the institute has provided more than 59,000 clinical genomics-based tests for more than 16,000 patients with a variety of conditions.

“The Pediatric Innovation Fund has been a game-changer,” said Tim Robinson, Chief Executive Officer, Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “These funds accelerate key initiatives across our organization, advancing promising discoveries and tackling some of toughest issues in pediatrics today. With support from the Nationwide Foundation, we have attracted and funded some of the brightest minds in pediatric research and care. This is impact that will be felt for decades to come.”

With Nationwide Foundation’s announcement in August of a new $10 million gift, they have contributed $90 million to the fund since its inception. This year’s gift will continue to benefit IGM as well as: • The Great Collide - The original study, funded by the Innovation Fund in 2021, revealed how employees’ concerns over pediatric mental health affects business. The Fund will now enable additional research and national marketing and awareness building for the second phase of study, specifically researching the impact of child mental health in the workplace.

• Population Health in Linden - Continued investment in vital, evidence-based programs to help ensure all children have a healthy future in Columbus’ historic Linden neighborhood.

Last year, the Nationwide Foundation committed $2 million to Nationwide Children’s

Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families initiative to create single-family affordable housing units in Linden. • Infectious Disease Fellowship - Patients with infections have better outcomes if managed by an Infectious Disease subspecialist. This 2022

Innovation Fund support will endow an

Infectious Disease Host Defense program.

• Chair in the Center for Clinical and

Translational Research - Supports the creation of the Nationwide Foundation Endowed Chair for Clinical and Translational Research. The chair will be awarded to John David Spencer,

MD, Chief of the Division of Nephrology and

Hypertension and Principal Investigator in the

Center for Clinical and Translational Research.

With the creation of the chair, Nationwide

Children’s role as a leader in this area will grow and help ensure no child has to leave central

Ohio for world-class care.

If you have questions or would like more information, contact:

Nichole Ferris

Vice President, Constituent Giving Nationwide Childrens Hospital Foundation 700 Children’s Dr. * Columbus, OH 43205 - 43205

614.355-5427 Email: Nichole.Ferris@NationwideChildrens.org

59,000 clinical genomics based tests for more than 16,000

patients with a variety of conditions

Since 2018 the IGM has studied more than 400 cancer patients with 95% receiving medically meaningful results

“Creating the Pediatric Innovation Fund has allowed us to make meaningful contributions in the lives of children and their families not only locally, but worldwide. The research discoveries and innovations happening at Nationwide Children’s Hospital are shared with pediatric hospitals across the country and around the world to help children everywhere.”

Kirt Walker, Nationwide CEO and Nationwide Foundation Chairman