An architect's rendering of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital as seen from the corner of Capers Avenue and 22nd Avenue South. The new outpatient clinic is on the left of the drawing.
Community effort underway to raise funds for building
A community campaign to raise funds for the new children’s outpatient clinic and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt will soon be launched in an effort to broaden the base of people who are associated with Children’s Hospital.
The “phase two” campaign will focus on reaching many families who may not be aware of the funding needs for the new Children’s Hospital.
“It’s very clear that there are prospective donors at all levels who want to give and help,” explained Dr. Arnold Strauss, director of Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and the James C. Overall Professor and Chair of Pediatrics. “We’ve not reached out to the entire community at large, and this campaign will do that by providing information on our needs and how we need the community’s help.”
Dr. Ian Burr, associate vice chancellor for Children’s Health Services, said it was important to build ownership in the new Children’s Hospital through giving.
“Ownership helps you want to know more about it and, hence, gain an understanding of its value for children in need,” he explained. “We will be reaching out to the entire population that we serve and build a broad base of donors who will help form the platform for long-term support as well as for the present construction needs.”
Money raised for Children’s Hospital supports more than just bricks and mortar. It is operated as a community resource, with more than 45 percent of the children admitted to Children’s Hospital covered under TennCare or out-of-state Medicaid. No child is denied care on the basis of limited ability to pay. More than 73 percent of the children cared for in the pediatric acute care clinic are covered under TennCare. This past year, more than 65,000 children sought care and treatment at Children’s Hospital or one of its clinics, and that number is expected to grow more than 20 percent over the next few years.