Carolina Panthers Commit $1 Million to Levine Children's Hospital
Carolinas HealthCare System (CHS) today announced a $1 million gift from the Carolina Panthers to provide funding for the new Levine Children's Hospital facility, which is scheduled to open next fall. In recognition of the Panthers $1 million commitment, the hospital's Medical/Surgical Floor (Level 10) will be designated in honor of the Carolina Panthers.
Levine Children's Hospital, now under construction on the campus of Carolinas Medical Center, will be dedicated solely to the needs of children and their families. Rising 12 stories, the new hospital will be one of the three largest children's facilities in the Southeast, and the largest between Atlanta and Washington, D.C.
'We have had a great relationship with Carolinas HealthCare System as the official healthcare provider since the beginning of the franchise, and the thrust of our community relations efforts involve children,' says team president Mark Richardson. 'We are pleased to participate in a positive manner to help children with health issues, and the Levine Children's Hospital provided the perfect opportunity.'
The new Medical/Surgical floor, made possible by the Carolina Panthers, will include 20 private patient rooms and four observation rooms that will be large enough to accommodate school-aged children and their families. The floor will reflect a Carolina Panthers theme. Parents and children will experience a Panthers décor that will include player pictures and team colors. Rooms may feature Panther themes and will include team photos and autographed items for the patients from the players and Sir Purr. The hope is to ease the difficulty of the hospital experience with a positive reinforcement from the team.
Most importantly, those rooms will be outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment to support healthy recoveries from a wide variety of injuries and illnesses. Level 10 will also include a conference area, a large lounge for families, a dynamic playroom, a patient classroom, a consultation room and a staff lounge.
'We are proud of the ongoing partnership between Carolinas Healthcare System and the Carolina Panthers,' said Michael C. Tarwater, president and CEO of Carolinas HealthCare System. 'It takes teamwork to care for children in our community, and the Panthers have demonstrated their commitment to our team with their $1 million gift. This generous gift will help us ensure that the children of the Carolinas have access to the finest pediatric facility available - right here in our community.'
Levine Children's Hospital will more than triple in size from the current children's hospital, expanding from 95,000 square feet to over 300,000 square feet. It will boast several of the region's 'firsts' - including the first 24-hour pediatric emergency department and the region's only pediatric cardiac intensive care unit.
'Nothing else will even come close to Levine Children's Hospital,' said Michael Rose, president of Carolinas HealthCare Foundation. 'And nothing comes close to our Carolina Panthers, who have such a long history of supporting our programs and services. We are grateful for their commitment and look forward to their continued involvement with our new children's facility.'
