Wolfson Children’s Hospital announces landmark donation from local family in support of new critical care tower

Wolfson Children’s Hospital of Jacksonville announced it has received a landmark gift from The Borowy (buh-ROH-wee) Family Foundation toward the new children’s critical care tower, slated to open January 25, 2022.

The generous donation will be recognized by establishing the newest addition to the Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville and Wolfson Children’s Hospital campus: The Borowy Family Children’s Critical Care Tower. Dr. Thom and Pat Borowy and their children, Hayden Borowy and Megan Borowy Walker, and son-in-law, Mark Walker, requested the amount of the gift remain confidential.

The Borowy Family Children’s Critical Care Tower is a seven-story, $224 million building that will serve as the new entryway to the grounds of Baptist Health’s flagship medical center and Wolfson Children’s, expanding access to the world-class, integrative care provided to critically ill and injured infants and children.

“Wolfson Children’s is incredibly grateful for this transformative gift from the Borowy family,” said Michael D. Aubin, FACHE, president of Wolfson Children’s Hospital and chief philanthropy officer for the Baptist Health Foundation. “The Borowys’ profound generosity is helping us develop the children’s hospital of tomorrow: a world-class, family-centered facility that will shape the next evolution of pediatric critical care.”

Michael A. Mayo, DHA, FACHE, president and CEO of Baptist Health, agreed. “The Borowy family gift is extremely meaningful to all of us at Baptist Health and Wolfson Children’s Hospital, and the fact that they have a long history of supporting our mission makes it that much more special. It is a powerful testament to the depth of the Borowys’ commitment to caring for families throughout our region, today and for generations to come.”

The Borowy family’s generous gift went toward the “Hope Starts Here” campaign, a five-year, $60 million commitment to transform the delivery of integrated critical care for the most vulnerable and critically ill and injured infants and children of North Florida, South Georgia and beyond. The ambitious campaign began in 2018 and will continue through 2023, enabling Wolfson Children’s to expand upon its mission of providing care to all children, regardless of their families’ ability to pay.

Through the generosity of the Borowy family and many other donors – including Mary Virginia Terry, a longtime philanthropist and supporter of Wolfson Children’s Hospital, who made the first major gift to the “Hope Starts Here” campaign – more than $47 million has been raised to date toward the $60 million goal.

“My family and I have grown to know the Baptist Health and Wolfson Children’s Hospital family very well throughout our careers and community involvement,” said Dr. Borowy, a local, retired clinical psychologist. “We have been particularly moved by the stories of patients and families at Wolfson Children’s, who are in extremely difficult critical care situations, most often through no fault of their own. We see no better investment than in the health of these children. Moreover, there is no better hospital positioned to treat and care for them than Wolfson Children’s. This opportunity encapsulates the guiding mission our family lives by.”

“Wolfson Children’s stands as a beacon of hope for children and their families by helping them address their greatest challenges during their most dire times of need,” said Richard Sisisky, Baptist Health Board Chair and longtime friend of the Borowy family. “The work they are doing through ‘Hope Starts Here’ will positively impact our community’s most vulnerable children and families for generations to come.”

Comprised of five floors dedicated to patient care and 127 state-of-the-art patient beds, The Borowy Family Children’s Critical Care Tower will provide the space and resources needed to care for the region’s growing number of critically ill and injured patients and their families, including:

• An 89-bed high-level Neonatal Intensive Care Center, with three separate units spanning three floors
• A 26-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) that includes a 6-bed Neuro Intensive Care Unit
• A 10-bed Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU)
• A 2-bed specialty Burn & Wound Unit

Designed to meet the unique needs of patients and families, each room will be furnished with a private bath, comfortably sleep two parents and maximize natural light, which helps to promote well-being in postpartum mothers, infants and children.

The newly named tower will also feature advanced-level technology and equipment, including a dedicated Embrace® Neonatal MRI system, designed for imaging the developing brains of the tiniest patients. It is the first system installed in Florida and one of three in the country.

“Hope starts at Wolfson Children’s, but it is achieved through our incredible team of care providers and a tremendous community of supporters and stakeholders,” said Aubin. “With ‘Hope Starts Here,’ we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to truly make a difference in the lives of our most vulnerable patients, now and in the future.”

“It is an honor to be a part of this important initiative for our community, knowing the impact it will have on children’s lives for many years to come,” said Roseann Duran, campaign chair of “Hope Starts Here” and the donor honored for the Duran Genetics Center. “I have always felt strongly about how fortunate we are to have a world-class children’s hospital right here in Jacksonville, and my hope is that our neighbors and friends from around the region will join us in this campaign for Wolfson Children’s.”

Services provided at Wolfson Children’s Hospital are provided primarily by pediatric physician specialists with Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville, University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville and Emergency Resources Group.