The awards, announced Aug. 16, help fund direct patient care as well as much-needed equipment purchases so UofL can continue to provide the best possible care to children who have special needs.
The Crusade has provided $947,000 this year to support programs throughout the university. The amount includes $325,000 for the renovation of a new subspecialty office at Old Brownsboro Crossing. The office, scheduled to open this fall, will make pediatric subspecialty care more easily accessible to communities east of Louisville.
“The WHAS Crusade for Children and the University of Louisville have for years partnered to accomplish a single goal, provide the best health care possible for the children of Louisville and Kentucky,” said UofL President James R. Ramsey. “The generosity of the Crusade makes it possible for us to provide that care, especially to patients with special needs. We cannot express our thanks to the Crusade often enough.”
In addition to helping fund the renovation of the new clinical site, a significant amount of the funding received helps support the Weisskopf Child Evaluation Center. There, children with developmental, learning and behavioral disorders like autism receive diagnostic and intervention services. Genetic evaluation and counseling also are provided to children and adults who have or are at risk of having a birth defect or genetic disorder.
In addition to direct patient services, WCEC also provides training to professionals and community advocates. Throughout the year, professionals from many different areas rotate through the center to receive hands-on experience with a special-needs population. The center also collaborates with professionals in the community to better serve children with special needs and their families.
The WHAS Crusade for Children grant also will support
- Support a pediatric rehabilitation program that provides intensive therapies to children with spinal cord injuries for improved strength and mobility
- Provide clinical services in pediatric neurology and evaluate new fetuses as they develop for the prevention of birth defects
- Support undergraduate and graduate scholarships for special education teacher training. In the College of Education and Human Development
- Enable the Center for Women & Infants at University Hospital to purchase specialized syringes for use in the neonatal intensive care unit.
UofL formally launched its Charting Our Course comprehensive campaign in 2010 with an initial goal of $750 million. After the campaign’s launch, the university stretched that philanthropic target to $1 billion by the end of June 2014. Funds raised are designated for academic support, scholarships and programs for students; faculty recruitment, research and professional development; infrastructure enhancements and upkeep of athletic facilities; and support of the university’s academic units and libraries. To date, the university has raised more than $847 million so it can continue its journey to becoming a premiere metropolitan research university and enhancing the lives of the people of Kentucky and beyond.