Children’s Memorial Hospital announces launch of one of nation’s largest fundraising campaigns for pediatric medicine and research

The Heroes for Life campaign to raise a minimum of $600 million

September 11, 2008 - Children’s Memorial Hospital will formally announce its most ambitious fundraising initiative on behalf of children and families in the hospital’s 126-year history, the Heroes for Life campaign, at an event on September 10 at Northerly Island. The campaign goal is one of the largest ever announced by a children’s hospital in the United States.

The goal of the campaign is to raise a minimum of $600 million, which will be used to help create the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, scheduled to open in the Streeterville community in 2012, and to support its medical and nursing professionals, programs and research.

“Tonight we celebrate the public announcement of one of the most important undertakings on behalf of children in our city’s history,” said J. Christopher Reyes, chairman of the Board of Directors of Children’s Memorial Medical Center. “The Heroes for Life campaign presents all of us with an opportunity to help shape the future of pediatric health care and research for generations of children in Chicago and beyond.”

The campaign will be led by a cabinet of prominent members of the community, who have made significant contributions of time and talent, as well as generous gifts to the campaign. Honorary campaign co-chairs are Lester Crown, Ann Lurie, Andrew J. McKenna and Penny S. Pritzker. Campaign co-chairs are J. Christopher Reyes, Robert S. Murley, Daniel J. Hennessy and Paula H. Crown.

The leadership phase of the campaign began in 2004 and has raised more than
$400 million to date, including the $100 million commitment from philanthropist Ann Lurie for whom the hospital will be named. In addition, those closest to the organization – its boards, senior management, leading donors and other key stakeholders – provided the foundation to publicly launch the campaign. The leadership phase also received early support from the Children’s Memorial Hospital Faculty Practice Plan, which committed $3 million, one of the largest gifts from a faculty group to a pediatric hospital in the U.S.

“The Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago will allow us to draw as never before on the expertise of specialists in every field of medicine,” said Patrick M. Magoon, president and CEO of Children’s Memorial Medical Center. “Our new location will also enable us to enhance that expertise, attracting new leaders to our staff of talented pediatric specialists and nurses. The Heroes for Life campaign is essential in making this possible.”

“This move will create great synergies in education and research that will positively impact patient care and ultimately, children’s health. This is such an exciting time for Northwestern University, Children’s Memorial and for the entire community,” said J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, the Lewis Landsberg Dean, Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

“The new state-of-the-art facility will feature the Regenstein Comprehensive Cardiac Unit, one of the nation’s first units with acuity adaptable beds that will allow children with heart problems to remain in the same room with the same caregivers from admission to discharge,” said Thomas Green, MD, physician-in-chief at Children’s Memorial Hospital and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. “We will also be among less than a handful of children’s hospitals nationwide that offer a dedicated program in neurocritical care that offers a dedicated program including specialized clinical care, training and research in pediatric neurocritical care. And with space for clinical research, we can investigate the newest treatments to improve the lives of children.”

Construction began in April on the new 23-story facility, located between Chicago Avenue and Superior Street, east of Michigan Avenue and just west of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s new Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago’s Streeterville community.

Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago, is recognized as one of the top pediatric hospitals in the country by rankings published in U.S. News & World Report and serves as a major regional referral center. Its physicians are on the faculty at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. As a not-for-profit organization, Children’s Memorial relies on philanthropy to help provide care to more than 113,000 patients and their families every year.

Contact:   Arla Silverstein 773.880.4728, Maureen King 773.975.8788