Rady Children's Hospital

Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego is the largest children's hospital in California and provides services to the San Diego, southern Riverside and Imperial counties. It is affiliated with the UC San Diego School of Medicine.

Rady Children's is a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center.[1]

In 2011, Rady Children's Hospital was ranked in all 10 specialties by U.S. New and World Report.[2] The specialties were: Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Neonatology, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology, and Urology.

History

On August 19, 1954, Rady Children's opened to receive its first 12 patients. Caring for a dozen patients may not seem that momentous, but in a town badly affected by the polio epidemic, Rady Children's was considered a godsend. Since then, nearly 2 million sick and injured children have been treated at the hospital.

Plans for the Hospital began in 1951 when the Board of the San Diego Society for Crippled Children initiated construction plans for a new children's hospital. In 1953, Rady Children's Hospital Auxiliary was formed and, later that year, groundbreaking took place.

On October 10, 2010, Rady Children's opened the Acute Care Pavilion, a LEED-Certified (green) building that is home to the new Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, the Warren Family Surgical Center, and a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the community's tiniest and most fragile babies. In 2001, Rady Children's formed a partnership with the University of California-San Diego to unify pediatric patient care, research, education, and community service programs.

In 2006, the Rady family made a donation of $60 million to Children's Hospital of San Diego and the hospital was renamed to Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego. Harry Rady is a member of the Rady Children's Hospital Board of Trustees and is on the Dean's Advisory Board at the Rady School of Management at UCSD.

Employees

Rady Children's has nearly 700 physicians and more than 1,000 nurses on staff, nearly 3,000 employees, 450 active volunteers, and more than 1,200 auxiliary staff.

Fundraising

Rady Children's Hospital Foundation directs fundraising efforts on behalf of the hospital, and offers opportunities for volunteers. Its main volunteer group is Rady Children's Hospital Auxiliary (RCHA), whose members organize and promote many fundraising events or contribute their individual services more directly in support of the hospital and its patients.

Begun over a century ago to support "the children's home", RCHA formally became a supporting arm of Children's Hospital when the initial hospital was built on its current site in 1953. Recently the 103rd Anniversary Charity Ball to benefit Rady Children's – Spectacular San Diego – was held at the renowned Hotel Del Coronado. In all, the annual Charity Ball[3] has contributed over $10 million to support various hospital departments and programs.

Most of RCHA's activities occur within its 21 auxiliary units[4] located in various communities throughout the hospital's service area in San Diego, Imperial and Riverside counties. Many units sponsor fundraising events of their own, including a Garden Walk by Point Loma's Dana Unit, Sweet Charity luncheon by Fuerte Hills' Unit, and Stand Up for Rady Children's, sponsored by the Rancho Santa Fe Unit. Since 2007, the Carmel Valley Unit has raised approximately $4 million to support various areas of the Hospital such as Speech & Hearing, Emergency Care Center, Neonatal Intensive Care Center, Asthma and Immunology, Chadwick Center for Children and Autism Discovery Institute.

All American Classic event

Since 2003, the hospital has been the beneficiary of the proceeds from the annual Perfect Game All-American Classic, an all-star baseball game and banquet. At the banquet, the Aflac National High School Baseball Player of the Year is presented the Jackie Robinson Award.[5][6] Since 2003, the Aflac All-American Baseball Classic has generated nearly $805,000 for charity.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Verified Trauma Centers". American College of Surgeons.
  2. ↑ "Rady Children's Hospital (2011-1)". U. S. News.
  3. ↑ "Rady Children's Hospital Foundation - Rady Children's Hospital Foundation".
  4. ↑ "Rady Children's Hospital Foundation - Rady Children's Hospital Foundation".
  5. ↑ "The 2010 Aflac National High School Player of The Year Nominees Announced". Satellite Television. August 9, 2010. Archived from the original on January 9, 2012. Retrieved 2011-11-10. The seventh annual Aflac National High School Baseball Player of the Year Award will be presented at the Aflac All-American Awards dinner to be held at the San Diego Hall of Champions on Aug. 14.
  6. ↑ See also: Baseball awards#U.S. high-school baseball.
  7. ↑ "2011 Perfect Game All-American Classic Rosters Announced". Satellite Television. July 28, 2011. Archived from the original on April 25, 2012. Retrieved 2011-11-10.
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