Hope begins here.

Advancing the dream of American Family Children’s Hospital

Hope cannot be found just anywhere. Its very existence springs from the deepest personal belief in a better future state. A singular desire for the best possible outcome in the face of adversity, the unexpected, and even the unimaginable.

When a child is sick or has a life-threatening medical condition, hope is what their family clings to. From the initial diagnosis to weeks and sometimes years of medical treatment, it is hope that sustains them. And when a child returns home, with a new kidney or cancer free, the hope for a full recovery and a healthy life is profound. For sick kids, especially those with the most critical and complex medical needs, hope begins here at American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin.

A growing demand for care and space

In 2023, American Family Children’s Hospital admitted nearly 4,000 children for care and had over 18,000 pediatric emergency room visits. We performed more than 8,600 surgeries and conducted over 200,000 primary and specialty clinic visits. We have programs ranked among the nation’s top 50 Children’s Hospitals by U.S. News and World Report and as the only Level l Pediatric Trauma Center in the area, the demand for our expertise continues to grow. Our reputation in specialty care programs such as cancer, neurosciences, and cardiology/heart surgery has increased both the number of patients we serve as well as the acuity of those patients.  This has caused our 21-bed pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) to be at capacity consistently. This shortage of intensive care beds significantly limits our ability to meet the needs of children with the most critical and complex medical cases.  In 2023, we turned away over 100 patients who needed a higher level of care because we could not accommodate them.

The sixth floor solution

Hope begins here at American Family Children’s Hospital, and we believe that sick kids in our community should not face the uncertainty of a hospital bed being available for them when they need it most. To address this significant barrier to care, we will raise $33 million to build-out the entire sixth floor of the hospital. We will increase our total bed count to 131 by adding a new twenty-four bed pediatric and cardiac intensive care unit, providing fourteen rooms for medical surgical pediatric intensive care patients and ten rooms for cardiac intensive care patients. On the fourth floor, we will enhance patient amenities by adding a new patient shower room and we will expand bed capacity for our Cancer and Blood Disorder Program as well as creating seasonal overflow.  And finally, we will add approximately thirty full-time specialty positions to our care teams.

American Family Children’s Hospital has always been forward thinking in our approach to achieving the best health outcomes for our patients and their families. And this project reflects our longstanding commitment to innovation and providing nationally recognized care that sets our hospital apart from others and establishes us firmly as a desired destination to receive care. Simply put, we are a comprehensive children’s hospital that meets the needs of the entire family when a sick child arrives at our doors. We are fortunate to have world renowned experts providing unparalleled pediatric care. With the support of generous donors, like you, and additional investments by UW Health, we are in a solid position to expedite this project and offer relief and peace of mind to children and families awaiting care.

Your gift will give kids and families hope

This campaign calls for $33 million in support to complete this expansion project. It reflects a profound sense of urgency to respond now to the shortage of intensive care beds and the possibility of another child not being able to receive the care they need close to home.

We ask you to consider the true impact of your gift in providing sick children in our community with greater access to state of the art facilities to meet their care needs. We want you to know that hope appears every day, in so many ways at American Family Children’s Hospital. In the eyes of grateful parents, caregivers, and siblings. In the skills and determination of our talented surgeons, physicians, and care teams. Even in a gentle nuzzle from one of our caring canines. Hope begins here and your gift will give kids and families hope when they need it most.