The Friends of WVU Hospitals Board of Directors announced a pledge of $500,000 to the WVU Medicine Children’s 'Grow Children's' Capital Campaign to name the Child Life Activity Center in the new tower.
“We are honored to be part of such an important endeavor for the state of West Virginia and the surrounding areas. This is something that will live on for decades upon decades and will make a massive impact for the women and children of our beautiful state,” Vicki Shuman and Stacy Shearer, president and vice president, respectively, of the Friends Board of Directors, said in a statement. “We see the big picture and are thrilled to share that vision with others and assist WVU Medicine Children’s in any way we can.”
The announcement was made during the Friends of WVU Hospitals Annual Board Meeting and Volunteer Luncheon, during which a check for $300,000 was presented to WVU Medicine Children’s. The remaining $200,000 will be donated over the next four-to-five years.
“Volunteers are a special group of people. They work not because they have to but because they want to do what they can to help our patients. It takes a special person to be a volunteer, and we are so thankful for the nearly 550 volunteers who help us treat the patients and families who seek us out for their healthcare needs,” Albert L. Wright, Jr., president and CEO of the West Virginia University Health System, said. “As if that were not enough, our Friends of WVU Hospitals have committed $500,000 to grow WVU Medicine Children’s. These folks see firsthand the demand for our services and know that this growth is crucial. We are grateful to the members of Friends for their tremendous generosity.”
The 150-bed, nine-story tower is scheduled to be completed in early 2021. The tower will include:
- Diagnostic imaging and a laboratory
- Operating rooms, cardiac catheterization, interventional radiology, and endoscopy facilities
- A 34-bed Pediatric Acute Care Unit with six beds available for Hematology/Oncology
- A 31-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit with six beds available for epilepsy monitoring
- A 54-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
- A 30-bed Birthing Center
- A Medical Office Building, Cancer Institute, Heart and Vascular Institute, and Maternal-Fetal Medicine clinics
All of the inpatient rooms will be private, except for nine NICU rooms for twins. The tower will also include inpatient and outpatient pharmacy facilities and a cafeteria.
The gift was made through the WVU Foundation, the non-profit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.
Individuals or businesses interested in supporting the WVU Medicine Children’s “Grow Children’s” Capital Campaign can call 304-598-4346 or visit wvumedicine.org/growchildrens.
WVU Medicine Children’s – currently located on the sixth floor of J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, WVU Medicine’s flagship hospital – provides maternal, infant, and pediatric care for West Virginia and the surrounding region, giving care to high-risk mothers, premature infants, and children with life-threatening conditions through adolescence to adulthood. For more information, visit childrens.wvumedicine.org.