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$1 Million Challenge Grant Announced to Support Center for Miracles

As heart-wrenching cases of child abuse continue to dominate news coverage throughout Bexar County, a coalition of community leaders came together last year to help address this critical issue. Through the generosity of Goldsbury Foundation, CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital established the Center for Miracles, a child abuse and neglect assessment center. Since its year inception the Center, which serves the Bexar County area, primarily focusing on the medical assessment of children who are suspected of being physically abused and/or neglected and the case management of those families has seen more than 1,000 children and families.

On May 18, in celebration of the Center’s one-year anniversary, Goldsbury Foundation announced a $1 Million Community Challenge Grant to help end child abuse. In order to end the abuse, education and prevention must be in place. For every dollar donated, Goldsbury Foundation will match up to $1 million towards child abuse prevention programs offered at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital. “There is an overwhelming need for a facility that focuses solely on child abuse and neglect,” commented Dr. Richard Wayne, Regional VP/Administrator for CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital. “The rising number of child abuse cases, not only at a national level, but locally, are staggering – over the past year, 14 children died from abuse or neglect with another 4,718 suffering from abuse or neglect and that is simply unacceptable. The Center for Miracles has served as a catalyst to gain control of the child abuse epidemic and prevent tragedies such as these from occurring in the future.”

Understanding that prevention is the key, Center for Miracles will continue to work closely with Child Protective Services and other local agencies to centralize the process of helping at-risk families and providing a continuity of care so that once abuse has been identified, it can be dealt with and the cycle can be stopped before a child is seriously injured or killed. “We are extremely grateful to continue to have the resources to maintain and further develop a facility such as this,” stated Don A. Beeler, president and CEO of CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health Care. “Ensuring that the children of our community grow up safely and healthy is certainly a priority for us and we expect the Center for Miracles will continue to be an in integral part of that commitment.” To learn more about Center for Miracles or the $1 million challenge grant, please visit www.centerformiracles.org.

KOHL’s Cares for Kids and Supports Pediatric Mobile Clinic

In September 2008, Kohl’s Cares For Kids is scheduled to  present a check for $105,006 to CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital for the Pediatric Mobile Unit. The Pediatric Mobile Clinic will provide comprehensive pediatric primary care including well child examinations, immunizations, EPSDT (Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment) services, treatment of minor illnesses, referral and linkages to specialty care, education, assistance in applying for Medicaid and CHIP and prescription assistance. The goal is to link every child in the target area to medical home, reduce emergency room visits, increase immunization rates and increase knowledge of health topics and healthy behavior for families.

"The generosity of Kohl's is immeasurable. The programs they have funded on behalf of the children and families of our community are gratefully received. As we look back at our accomplishments for 2006 and the assistance Kohl's has provided us we count our blessings and we are honored to have a partner in Kohl's Cares for Kids" Richard Wayne, MD, VP/Administrator CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children's Hospital.

“Kohl’s introduced the Kohl’s Cares for Kids program to promote children’s health and educational opportunities, and is committed to playing an active role in the communities we serve,” said Julie Gardner, senior vice president and chief brand officer of Kohl’s Department Stores. Kohl’s has supported CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital programs since 2003. By September 2008 Kohl's will have donated more than $445,554.00 to CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital through the Kohl’s Cares for Kids program.

8th Annual Sam's Golf Tournament

People who are organizing the 8th Annual Sam’s Golf Tournament take it personally. Very personally.

People like Dawn Williams, who works at the Sam’s Club regional office in San Antonio and has a very personal motivation to support the tournament that supports CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital. Dawn’s nephew, Colton, was born seven years ago, weighing only 2 pounds, 9 ounces. A medical condition caused Colton’s mother to go into labor early and Colton was born prematurely. He was so tiny, he fit in the palm of his father’s hand.

Many caring hands joined together to offer care, love, support and prayer for Colton, who is a happy, healthy seven-year-old today, thanks to early care received in a children’s hospital. Dawn is now on a mission to raise money for CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital.

“Colton’s birth gave me the passion to want to help other hospitalized children,” she says. “We have been so blessed to see such a fragile life blossom into who he is today, we are so grateful.”

The 8th annual Sam’s Golf Tournament is scheduled for Thursday, October 11, at The Golf Club of Texas. Proceeds will benefit CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital. For more information, call Dawn at Sam’s Club 210-496-4739.

Tejanos for Hope

KXTN-FM Radio in San Antonio conducted the fourth annual Tejanos for Hope radiothon August 17-18, raising more than $73,000 for CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital. The two-day event included live interviews with physicians, hospital leaders, Children’s Foundation volunteers, and patient families. DJ Jon Ramirez hosted the entire event, helping generate awareness for pediatric programs at the hospital and generate contributions from his listeners.

In addition to the radiothon, the Tejanos for Children Golf Tournament on August 21 raised dollars and awareness to further benefit the patients and their families at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital. The tournament was sponsored by Tejano Grammy Award winner Emilio Navarria.

KCI Supports Comprehensive Assessment Center 

Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital Foundation recently received a $30,000 donation from KCI employees. KCI’s innovative therapies make a difference in patients' lives every day, and their contribution will help make a difference at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital.

This generous donation will be combined with a previous corporate gift from KCI and used to construct a comprehensive assessment center for children with special healthcare needs. This center will see children who have multiple challenging and sometimes rare diagnoses or disorders such as severe birth defects, major organ failure, cystic fibrosis, rare genetic syndromes, muscular dystrophies, and progressive neurological diseases or damage.

The Comprehensive Assessment Center will be constructed in the David Christopher Goldsbury Center for Children and Families and will offer a single stop for families, allowing them to access multiple pediatric specialties that their child might require. CHRISTUS Santa Rosa is grateful to KCI and the KCI employees for helping make possible this much needed service.

Play-A-Round for the Kids

Credit Unions for Kids recently hosted the 10th annual Play-A-Round for the Kids Golf Tournament, and over $43,000 was raised for CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital. Credit Unions for Kids is a collaboration of credit unions, chapters, leagues, and business partners engaged in fund raising activities to benefit 170 Children's Miracle Network affiliated children's hospitals serving 14 million kids nationwide. Credit Unions for Kids, which was started in San Antonio, continues to help hospitals help children through their fund raising efforts.