Dear Friends,
We welcome your interest in the work of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. For us, 2011 was an exciting year, as we made major strides in fundraising to support the expansion of Packard Children’s Hospital, and in our work to improve the health care system for children, particularly those with special health care needs.
Groundbreaking for the planned Hospital expansion is set for September 2012. This ambitious project will double the Hospital’s size and add 150 private rooms. The new facility will include space for advanced diagnostic and treatment equipment, additional treatment rooms, nursing and support services, and expanded clinics. Our Foundation’s Breaking New Ground campaign raises funds for the expansion, while also seeking donor support for education, training, and research at the Stanford School of Medicine. In 2011, we reached $480 million toward the campaign goal of $500 million.
Overall in 2011, donations for the Hospital and pediatric programs at the School totaled $62 million, thanks to 11,301 incredibly generous donors. These funds support amazing advances in children’s medicine, some of which are noted in this report.
The Foundation also continued to build our collaborative, the California Advocacy Network for Children with Special Health Care Needs, which advocates for a higher-quality system of health care. As advanced medical technology extends the lifespan of many children with chronic conditions, our health care system must be sufficiently robust to support their care, including beyond their treatment at children’s hospitals. Our network brings together families, providers, payers, policymakers and others to press for better programs and policies. In 2011, we also began to develop our grantmaking strategies in this arena, and we welcomed Edward L. Schor, MD, to lead this effort. Dr. Schor is a nationally known authority on children’s health and health care.
The Foundation continues to be a key statewide provider of data on the state of children’s health, through our website, www.kidsdata.org. In 2011, we implemented a number of tools to enhance the usability of the site, and added 20 indicators, mostly focused on physical health. Our Foundation also joined major state and national organizations in advocating for better public access to health data.
None of this progress would have been possible without the consistent support of our donors, volunteers and community partners. Thank you once again for joining with us to help ensure that the children we serve receive the best possible care, in the hospital and in their communities.
Sincerely,
Susan Orr
Board Chair
David Alexander, MD
President and CEO