Charitable Fundraising

Charitable Fundraising Rebuilding of Damaged Shriners Hospital in Galveston Suspended TSSA to Continue Fundraising Efforts for Houston Branch care system and other locations as appropriate. Shriners Hospitals for Children, an international pediatric specialty health care system that provides all care and services at no charge, is currently facing the most tumultuous and trying economic environment in its 86-year history. Leadership is focused on doing what is best for the entire Shriners Hospitals for Children organization, which means, unfortunately, that difficult decisions must be made. "The hospital will continue to follow up on the children initially treated for burns in Galveston, flying them to other Shriners hospitals if need be." said Ralph Semb, president and chief executive officer of Shriners Hospitals for Children. Shriners Hospital for Children, Houston L ast September, Hurricane Ike caused significant damage to the Shriners Hospital for Children in Galveston, which specializes in providing care for pediatric burn injuries. At the time of the hurricane, critically burned children were airlifted to Shriners Burn Hospitals in Cincinnati, OH; Sacramento, CA; and Boston, MA. The hospital has been closed for renovation since Ike hit, and care for children with acute burns has been provided at other Shriners Hospitals for Children. The Galveston hospital treats about 250 acutely burned children each year and keeps treating them until they are 18. In 2007, the hospital admitted 1,575 patients, including 548 acute burn cases, according to hospital statistics. Though the Galveston location of the Shriners Burn Hospitals for Children has been closed in the wake of Hurricane Ike, TSSA will continue its charitable fundraising efforts for the Shriners Children's Burn Hospital in Houston, where many of the children are receiving "after-burn" care. Due to the troubled economy, the value of the Shriners Hospitals for Children's endowment fund--which is currently the largest source contributing to the organization's annual operating budget--has fallen by more than $2 billion over the past few months. Given the current financial constraints, and the capacity to treat patients with acute burns at three other hospitals in the health care system, the Shriners Hospitals for Children Board of Directors and Trustees have voted to suspend renovation and reconstruction at the Shriners Hospitals for Children in Galveston, pending further evaluation and improvement in the organization's financial situation. Galveston patients will continue to receive care at other hospitals in the health © 48 Copyright TSSA March/April 2009 · www.txssa.org

<<Previous Page | Home | Next Page>>

Get the latest Flash Player plugin free from Adobe.