Dear Friends,
For those of us privileged to work at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, one of the most exciting and gratifying truths is that we're constantly improving our ability to make a difference in the lives of children and families.
This year's annual report focuses on scientific advances at Cincinnati Children's that are improving the quality of care we deliver. It glances backward, remembering what was possible in the past, to better understand the achievements that are changing the face of medicine today.
Our researchers regularly bring us new knowledge to apply to the care of children. Our investment in cutting-edge technology provides our staff with more sensitive and accurate tools for diagnosing and treating disease. Our unique centers of excellence offer an unprecedented level of care for rare and complex conditions. And through their generosity, the donors who support the medical center are our partners in offering families new options, new hope.
As we write this letter, Cincinnati Children's is nearing completion of a new research building that significantly expands our research facilities. The opening of this 415,000-square-foot facility in November 2007 is a milestone, making Cincinnati Children's one of the largest pediatric research programs in the country, with over $91 million in NIH-awarded research grants in fiscal 2007 and nearly 1 million square feet of research space. The new facility will permit continued growth of our research program, reflecting our ongoing commitment to research that improves child health.
We will open this new building with our research program under the direction of a new leader, Arnold W. Strauss, MD, a distinguished cardiologist and a nationally honored researcher. We are delighted that he has joined Cincinnati Children's as physician-in-chief, chair of the Department of Pediatrics of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and director of the Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation.
Dr. Strauss succeeds Thomas F. Boat, MD, who led the Department of Pediatrics and the Research Foundation for more than a decade, during a period of unprecedented growth, not merely in the size of our institution but its quality and reputation. We want to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank Dr. Boat for his significant contributions to our institution, and through it to the lives of children and families around the world.
We invite you to read this year's annual report to learn more about the medical and scientific advances that are improving care at Cincinnati Children's and beyond. We've highlighted five areas where outstanding clinicians, using new knowledge and new technology, are transforming care and changing outcomes for children. We are also pleased to share the personal stories of just a few of the many donors whose gifts contributed to the success of these programs.
