171 Ashley Ave.
Charleston, SC 29425
843-792-1414
800-424-MUSC
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November 2006
Letter From Our Chair
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L. Lyndon Key, MD
Professor and Chairman
Department of Pediatrics |
Dear faculty, Children's Hospital staff and other friends,
Imperative to any community-based, nonprofit organization is a strong philanthropic funding stream. Even more importantly is to ensure
that the funds raised are managed through stewardship and focus on areas where the funds prove successful for an organization and the individuals served.
At MUSC Children's Hospital, this very important task is given to the Children's Hospital Fund (CHF), originally established by Dr.
Charles P. Darby as the Children's Fund. CHF provides the support and management to our generous donors and the funds they raise.
Prior to 2001 most of the money raised was used to recruit and support new hires needed in the children's hospital, support research
programs, and departments such as social work and child life. These type of support continues on today, however over the years, new and
exciting opportunities presented themselves and the scope of CHF's efforts changed.
In 2001, CHF initiated a large capital campaign to secure the necessary donations from the private and public sector to cover the cost
of completing our Children's Research Institute (CRI), the largest pediatric research facility in the Carolinas.
This endeavor is one of very few where a single department raised enough money from philanthropic sources to build a facility for anyone
who is willing to conduct pediatric research within any given discipline. This might not sound odd because previous philanthropy helped
to fund other institutes but the difference is typically that space is dedicated to a single resource or discipline or a single institute,
such as cancer. It was never developed from a multidisciplinary approach.
The idea of a single department partnering with the University to provide resources for investigators from other departments was a new
paradigm; one that continues to prove itself innovative, collaborative, accountable and cutting-edge - and all for the greatest good of
finding ways to provide better health care to our children.
CHF takes on their next challenge and look toward the future
CHF is now taking on new challenges. The fund, with help from the College of Medicine's dean's office, CHF is helping to provide partial
funding for the new neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), slated to be under construction in 2007. As part of the MUSC Children's Hospital
team, the CHF continues to help the department of pediatrics and the CRI recruit and support new talented scientists and clinicians.
The fund which Dr. Darby envisioned serves many projects and supports projects that benefit the department of pediatrics, but also the
Children's Hospital at large. Over the next few years, our children's hospital leadership team will be developing a strategy to secure
capital that will help us to expand our pediatric facilities.
This year is the first in six years where we have been able to have capital that was not already pledged to the CRI. First and foremost,
we will begin recruiting essential faculty in the areas of nephrology, oncology, and gastroenterology. Additionally, projects that will
provide new capital for major building projects will begin for the Children's Hospital.
None of these projects would be possible without the steadfast commitment and loyalty from the CHF staff. We have a wonderful staff at the
CHF and should always make it a point to support their events, everything from holiday cards to golf tournaments to the Children's Miracle
Network. This group is the one that makes it all happen.
- Barbara Rivers (Director of the Children's Hospital Fund)
- Wanda Bazemore (Director of Major Special Events)
- Lauren Kinard (Major Gift Coordinator)
- Courtney Ellicott (Associate Director of Special Events)
- Ann Taylor Guill (Associate Director of Special Events)
Along with the help and advice from Dr. Darby and Maggie Michael, this dedicated core of fundraisers has been the secret to our success.
It is also important to note that the department of pediatrics, the pediatric surgical specialties, and the staff that provide the care
within the Children's Hospital, and our support departments are ONE team. For this reason, John Sanders and Dr. Phil Saul are both members
on the CHF board, along with an active development committee, Terry Stanley, Jim Fisher, Dean Reves and President Greenberg.
As a team focused on the same mission - to discover better ways to care for the whole child and provide compassionate, child and family-centered
services in an environment that fosters innovation, collaboration and excellence - we will certainly achieve our strategic goals for the children
of South Carolina.
With such a great team how could we not.
Sincerely,
L. Lyndon Key, MD
Chair, Department of Pediatrics
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