Looking to sustain a valuable program
In the midst of too many misguided notions about the need to “starve government,” The Oklahoman’s recent profile of a Children’s Hospital program illustrates what government, in partnership with the private sector, can do. This is clearly a model for excellence going forward, but needs community support.
The article profiled a physician/scientist who has come to Oklahoma and begun offering hope to children and families who struggle with a deadly disorder. Dr. Amy Middleman is one of numerous such outstanding pediatric health care providers and researchers who have come to our state because of this partnership. They represent a wide range of specialties, including not just adolescent medicine, but oncology, pulmonology, endocrinology, genetics, psychology, neonatology, emergency medicine and many more.
It’s a challenge to recruit such outstanding people to the state but a program begun by our Legislature in the early 1980s, in combination with community leadership, has made this possible. This endowed chair program is the result of real leadership at the legislative level, as it was initiated at a time our state economy was in a serious recession. Monies were made available to attract private donations in order to endow chairs in these various areas. These chairs help recruit the best and brightest, as they provide not just academic prestige, but a secure source of funding.
Unfortunately, this program has been discontinued, but was in existence for a long enough period that pediatric medicine in Oklahoma has reached a sustained level of excellence. We are now at a point in time, however, that community support is more important than ever. These doctors and programs cannot be sustained when public support is so diminished unless our community and state rally.
Children from all 77 counties are treated here every year. It’s also important to recognize that three-quarters of our future pediatricians are trained by these same people. Our children and families deserve to have the best care possible right here in Oklahoma, and while the groundwork has been laid, it is now up to the private sector to ensure its continuance.
The newly developed program for disordered eating is therefore trying to generate $10 million in private support. We have been successful in raising 40 percent of this to date, but need our community to help raise the remaining funds.
Children’s Hospital Foundation is committed to doing all we can to generate the support necessary to develop this program and others, and to keep all of these outstanding physician/ scientists from leaving. We strive to make the best care available to children, regardless of ability to pay, and with shrinking reimbursements, this is more important than ever. We have great volunteer leadership at the board level, and we at CHF hope to hear from you.