The Future is
Within Reach
Pursuing
the Future At Phoenix Children’s Hospital, innovation is in our DNA. From our founding 35 years ago to the present, we have embraced innovative solutions to complex questions. Today, as the science and practice of pediatric medicine enter a phase of rapid, transformative advancement, that culture of innovation is propelling Phoenix Children’s towards a remarkable future. Imagine the possibilities. In the not too distant future, our doctors will be able to use nanotechnology to repair or replace damaged internal tissue, so that a child with a failing organ won’t have to wait months or even years for a transplant. Robotic ‘exoskeleton’ technology will allow a child with cerebral palsy to rise confidently from her wheelchair and dance at her senior prom. And advancements in genomics, artificial intelligence and immunotherapy will radically increase the efficacy of cancer treatment, so that one day, pediatric cancer will be as treatable as pneumonia.
For Phoenix Children’s Hospital, that future is within reach.
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Within Reach
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Within Reach
Building a world-class
destination hospital
Phoenix Children’s Hospital is investing in the people, research, technologies and programs that will solidly position it as a world-class, destination hospital for decades to come. That means recruiting visionary physician-scientists who will change the shape of medicine from right here in Phoenix; fostering discovery that will improve the quality and length of children’s lives; establishing ground-breaking, destination programs that will attract young patients from around the world; and driving innovations that will give ill and injured children hope beyond their wildest dreams. Within Reach – an initiative grounded in building our organizational capacity for the future – will enable Phoenix Children’s to accelerate these investments and set new standards for innovation and excellence in children’s health. Together, we will bring the future of pediatrics to Phoenix.
1 in every 100 babies is born with congenital heart disease
Acute neurological injuries are the leading cause of death and disability in children
Every 3 minutes, a child is diagnosed with cancer
Physician-Scientists
Discovery
Drs. P. David Adelson and Angus Wilfong (L to R) of the Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children’s. These pioneers conduct ground-breaking research and have innovated less invasive surgical techniques to destroy brain tumors.
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Innovation
Destination Programs
Recruiting Visionary Physician-Scientists People are at the heart of what we do at Phoenix Children’s. Our physician-scientists not only provide the highest level of care; they are also the driving force behind the Hospital’s pursuit of excellence. That’s why Phoenix Children’s Hospital is prioritizing the recruitment of renowned physician-scientists: the thought leaders, game-changers and visionaries who will pioneer ground-breaking research; develop innovative solutions to the most pressing medical challenges; and build programs that redefine the standards for pediatric health care.
Trailblazing Leaders Take Varina Boerwinkle, MD, Director of Neurocritical Care at Phoenix Children’s. Dr. Boerwinkle has spent her career investigating better ways to treat epilepsy, the most common neurological disease. After years of research, Dr. Boerwinkle pioneered the Functional Resting State MRI, a technique that helps neurosurgeons pinpoint the exact locations of brain disorders that cause seizures and cure more children with fewer side effects. Today, the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Barrow Neurological Institute is just one of two programs in the country performing this revolutionary procedure.
Physician-Scientists
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Within Reach
Discovery
Innovation
Destination Programs
Fostering Discovery Ground-breaking research not only facilitates the development of innovative solutions, it also offers the opportunity to shape the future of medicine. At Phoenix Children’s, we are fostering a robust culture of research and recruiting physician-scientists with the experience and reputations to set the national pediatric research agenda. For Cynthia Wetmore, MD, Director of the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, part of the attraction of joining an up-and-coming hospital like Phoenix Children’s was the opportunity to build a top-10 research program. Dr. Wetmore is positioning the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders to lead cutting-edge clinical trials and translate promising discoveries in the lab into life-saving and life-enhancing therapies for her patients. “I want to get us to the point where we are doing that kind of innovative clinical and translational research right here. Where we are pioneering the new therapies. Where we are the first center to do the things that have never been done before.” — Dr. Cynthia Wetmore, MD, Director of the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders
Creating Hope through Clinical Trials When Lily was five months old, an MRI revealed that she was suffering from a high grade brain tumor. After years of treatment, Lily’s tumor continued to grow, and her parents were faced with a decision: continue traditional treatment or enroll their daughter in a clinical trial for Trametinib, a therapy used to treat adult malignant melanoma. The choice was difficult, but with the tumor growing, Lily’s parents knew it was the right thing to do. The clinical trial began in February 2017 and today Lily’s tumor is stable.
Physician-Scientists
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Within Reach
Discovery
Innovation
Destination Programs
Driving Innovation Technology is transforming the medical landscape. Innovations in genomics, artificial intelligence, informatics and virtual reality are changing the way medicine is practiced and enabling patient outcomes that once seemed unimaginable. Investments in supercomputers and data mining to collect and share ‘real-time’ patient data with clinical staff have revolutionized the Hospital’s ability to predict and prevent life-threatening crises like sepsis, kidney toxicity and even cardiac arrest, before they happen. At Phoenix Children’s Hospital, we intend to be among the first to translate emerging capabilities into the breakthrough solutions and protocols that will advance pediatric medicine into the future. Take genetic sequencing. Pediatric oncologists will be able to use genomics to map cancers down to the chromosome. For a child with leukemia, doctors will use this genetic fingerprint to predict the patient’s unique needs and responses to treatment, including which drugs will work like magic, and which like poison. Phoenix Children’s is already making critical investments that are allowing us to harness the power of genetic sequencing and change the paradigm of pediatric oncology.
Innovation in 3-D Innovation is already at work for Phoenix Children’s patients. Partnering with the Arizona State University Biomedical Engineering School and Philips, a leading health technology company, 3-D technology has advanced to where we can now more accurately calculate measurements of tumors and organs using 3-D images. With this precise data, physicians can prescribe more exact dosages for chemotherapy or more accurately select ideal matches for organ transplant patients.
Physician-Scientists
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Within Reach
Discovery
Innovation
Destination Programs
Establishing Leading Destination Programs The Barrow Neurological Institute, the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders and the Level 1 Trauma Center – these are just a few of the Phoenix Children’s Hospital programs that have gained widespread recognition in recent years. Families from across the nation seek these programs out when their children are facing life-threatening diagnoses or injuries. Becoming a world-class hospital means broadening that reach – from local to global. It means continuing to provide best-in-class care to our local population while investing in the talent, resources and innovations that will attract patients from around the world and put even more of our programs on the medical map.
Building a Global Reputation Phoenix Children’s Hospital is already building a global reputation. In 2017, a couple from Qatar traveled the 8,000 miles to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Barrow Neurological Institute in the hopes that doctors could help their daughter, whose epileptic seizures were not responding to medication. Dr. P. David Adelson, MD, Director of the Institute, performed laser ablation surgery, a less invasive, more targeted procedure that helped the child win her battle with epilepsy.
From GrassRoots to
Global
Over the past three and a half decades, Phoenix Children’s has become a beloved Arizona hospital. And while we may be young, our incredible patrons dream big – thanks to their support, Phoenix Children’s stands on the precipice of becoming one of the top-10 pediatric hospitals in the country. The dividends of that growth will not only be felt by our community and the patients and parents that we fight for every day. Those benefits will also be felt by the wider population of Phoenix and the great state of Arizona. A world-class, destination hospital with a dedicated culture of discovery and innovation will bring a new wave of high-caliber professionals, attract patients from across the country and spur economic growth right here in the valley. With the right people, partners and investments, Phoenix Children’s can realize this future and the incredible possibilities that it holds. We can give even more children in need the highest possible level of care. It’s all within reach. Let’s get there, together.
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Change is constant, and the job to deliver on the promise of the very best health care to our children is never finished. Bob Meyer, President & CEO, Phoenix Children’s
Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation 2929 East Camelback Rd. #122, Phoenix, AZ 85016 602.933.4483 | foundation@phoenixchildrens.com GivetoPCH.org