Too many children only enter the health system in moments of crisis. Families face barriers in access to care; mental health needs go unmet until they escalate, and care is often fragmented across settings. Even with world-class hospitals, outcomes for our children remain poor: 

• Ohio routinely ranks in the bottom half of states on many child health measures, despite having some of the nation’s leading children’s hospitals.^1,2
• In our region, one in three children younger than 15 months don’t get their recommended well-child visits, ³ creating significant gaps in preventive care that can delay diagnosis, allow concerns to escalate, and ultimately lead to poorer health and developmental outcomes. These missed touchpoints are especially consequential as early identification is critical for addressing emerging physical, behavioral, and mental health needs. 
• Nationally, 60% of kids who die by suicide never got a mental health diagnosis, meaning they never got to the right care when it was needed.⁴ Prevention and early intervention—particularly those focused on youth mental health—are essential to reversing the current crisis but remain difficult to sustain due to high operating costs and chronically inadequate reimbursement. 

Many prevention-oriented and access-focused programs receive limited or no reimbursement at all, despite their proven value. Evidence consistently shows that earlier access to timely, local care improves outcomes by enabling faster intervention, stabilizing issues before they worsen, and reducing reliance on more intensive and higher cost treatments later. 

 Sources: 

1. Ohio Children’s Hospital Association 
2. Kids Count DataBook
3. Medicaid data  
4. JAMA Network Open

Grounded in the hospital’s mission – the relentless pursuit of optimal health for every child within our reach – this investment accelerates Dayton Children’s vision of reinventing the path to children’s health with care centered on: 

• primary care as the engine of health: expanding access to pediatric primary care as the most effective way to improve long-term outcomes and intervene early 
• integrated mental and physical health: addressing the mental health crisis by embedding mental health into every aspect of care 
• care in communities and schools: bringing services closer to where children live, learn and grow to remove barriers and reach families sooner 
• accountability through outcomes: using data and shared learning to continuously improve, measure impact and scale what works 

It empowers us to take a proactive approach to care—preventing avoidable challenges, intervening earlier, and helping every child reach their fullest potential. 

While transformational, this gift is not an endpoint. It allows us to accelerate key priorities that would not otherwise be possible without a large investment all at once. It does not replace the everyday generosity of our community — it builds upon it. In fact, strong donor support like yours is one of the reasons Tom Golisano chose Dayton Children’s as a partner and now a member of the Golisano Children’s Alliance.   

Your continued philanthropy fuels the programs, services, and patient support that go above and beyond what insurance covers — and ensures that every child, every family, and every need is met with compassion and excellence.   

We are deeply grateful for the role you play in this moment of momentum. Together, we are creating a future where every child — regardless of zip code or circumstance — has access to the care they need to thrive.   

Tom Golisano is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist best known as the founder of Paychex, a leading payroll and human resources company. He built Paychex from a small startup in 1971 into a national corporation, making him one of the wealthiest individuals in the United States. 

Beyond business, Golisano is widely recognized for his philanthropy, particularly in healthcare and services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Through the Golisano Foundation, he has committed hundreds of millions of dollars to improving access to care, funding specialized programs, and supporting inclusive healthcare initiatives—work that has led to partnerships like the Golisano Children’s Alliance.  

This endeavor is personal for Mr. Golisano. As the father of a son with intellectual developmental disabilities (IDD), he is driven to ensure equitable care for children. Like us, he believes that all kids deserve a great children’s hospital close to home, so he supports small to midsize children’s hospitals so they can continue to that service.

Many reasons! We have earned a stellar reputation across the country as an exceptional and
innovative, independent, freestanding pediatric hospital. In addition, we are financially strong
which shows we are responsible stewards of our money. Finally, we have a dedicated community
who generously and routinely donate to support our mission and vision. All these factors earned Mr.
Golisano’s trust and belief that we are a worthy recipient of the large investment and that we will
use it wisely and in the best interest of the children of our region.

In 2025, Mr. Golisano launched the Golisano Children’s Alliance, a national initiative that brings together children’s hospitals to expand services, strengthen collaboration and improve access to high-quality care close to home. Dayton Children’s will work alongside peer institutions to share insights, apply proven strategies and accelerate meaningful system-level change in pediatric health. As a member of the Alliance, Dayton Children’s will both benefit from and contribute to a growing national network committed to innovation, excellence and better outcomes for children and families.

With the addition of Akron Children’s Hospital, Dayton Children’s, and Avera Health in Sioux Falls, S.D., the Alliance includes 15 children’s hospitals, with a goal of 40 total member hospitals.  

The previously named 12 hospitals in the alliance are: 

• Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester
• Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital in Syracuse
• Golisano Children’s Hospital in Fort Myers, Florida 
• Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo, which is renamed Golisano Children’s Hospital of Buffalo 
• Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Hartford, Conn. 
• Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital, Hershey, Pa. 
• University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital, Lexington, Ky. 
• University of Maryland Children’s Hospital, Baltimore 
• University of Vermont Children’s Hospital, Burlington, Vt. 
• West Virginia University Medicine Children’s Hospital, Morgantown, West Virginia 
• Arkansas Children’s Golisano Campus, Little Rock campus
• Wellstar Golisano Children’s Hospital of Georgia, Augusta

To honor this historic gift, Dayton Children’s will name main campus on Valley Street the Golisano Comprehensive Care Campus, a reflection of a shared commitment to changing the course of children’s health for generations to come.  

This naming recognizes the profound impact of Tom Golisano’s investment while preserving who we are at our core. It reflects the name of the campus, similar to references like “main” or “south,” and does not represent a change to our hospital identity or mission.  

Over the next year, we will begin implementing this campus name systematically.