BUFFALO, N.Y.—AUGUST 19, 2025—Kaleida Health and the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital are honored to announce that entrepreneur, philanthropist and civic leader B. Thomas Golisano is donating $50 million to support the advanced, specialized pediatric care provided at New York State’s only standalone children’s hospital.
In recognition of the gift, the hospital announced today that as of January 2026 it will be renamed Golisano Children’s Hospital of Buffalo.
“We are exceptionally grateful to Tom Golisano for this historic gift, which will make an incredible impact on our mission to advance the health of our community’s moms, kids and babies,” said Don Boyd, president and CEO of Kaleida Health. “Today is a great day for the families who rely on us to be here, providing exceptional care when they need us most. Mr. Golisano’s generosity is extraordinary. He truly believes in the power of philanthropy and its lasting impact on communities.”
Leadership at the hospital unveiled the new hospital logo that will begin use early next year once the new name is made official.
Mr. Golisano is the founder of Paychex, the nation’s largest human resource company for small to medium-sized businesses, and the Golisano Foundation, one of the nation’s largest foundations dedicated to supporting programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. His philanthropic contributions to education, animal welfare, disability services, and numerous other community organizations today exceed $900 million. There are currently three Golisano Children’s Hospitals: Rochester, Syracuse and Southwest Florida. The Children’s Hospital of Buffalo will be the fourth to bear the Golisano name.
“I consider Buffalo, New York, part of my hometown community and am proud to make this investment in the health of its children. This support is about ensuring that every child, no matter their circumstances, has access to the highest quality care close to home,” said Tom Golisano. “The doctors, nurses and staff here are what make that care possible, and I’m honored to support their work as we look ahead to all that the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Buffalo will accomplish for generations to come.”
“As a Buffalo native who had the opportunity to complete my residency at Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester before returning here to serve my hometown community, I understand what it means for our organization to be part of the Golisano family of children’s hospitals,” said Stephen Turkovich, MD, president of Oishei Children’s Hospital. “Though we remain rooted here as part of Kaleida Health, this partnership allows further collaboration and support in many ways with the other children’s hospitals that benefit from Mr. Golisano’s philanthropy. We look forward to all that this means for Buffalo’s children’s hospital and the kids we care for.”
Buffalo’s Children’s Hospital led a community-wide campaign to build its new state-of-the-art facility that opened in November 2018. During that campaign, the John R. Oishei Foundation stepped up with a $10 million gift to support the new hospital, which resulted in the namesake John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital. The significance of its support was influential in the success of the hospital project and the sustainability of its mission to provide care to Western New York’s moms, kids and babies.
The John R. Oishei Foundation board agreed to relinquish its naming rights following the substantial gift from Mr. Golisano in support of the immense positive impact that a gift of this size will bring to the community’s kids and families.
“The John R. Oishei Foundation’s investment in the hospital more than a decade ago reflected a shared belief that families in Western New York deserve access to the highest quality maternal and pediatric care,” said Christina Orsi, president of the John R. Oishei Foundation. “Today marks another significant moment for Buffalo. We’re deeply grateful for Mr. Golisano’s extraordinary generosity and what it will mean for the health and well-being of future generations. It has been an honor to have the foundation’s name on the hospital, and we proudly support this next chapter.”
Mr. Golisano, who owned the NHL’s Buffalo Sabers and the Buffalo Bandits of the National Lacrosse League from 2003 to 2011, has been involved in numerous other Buffalo-area endeavors. He was also involved in efforts to keep the Buffalo Bills in Buffalo in 2014. In October 2008, Mr. Golisano donated $10 million to Niagara University for a new B. Thomas Golisano Center for Integrated Sciences building. As part of his historic 2024 giving of $500 million to 125 organizations, $60 million was dedicated to nonprofit organizations throughout Western New York including Niagara University, Daemen University, Canisius University, Niagara Falls Memorial Hospital, Arc of Erie County, People Inc., the Summit Center of Buffalo, SPCA Serving Erie County and more.
“Philanthropic support at any level is crucial to our ability to innovate and elevate the level of care we are able to provide our patients, especially in the ever-changing landscape of health care,” Boyd said. “A gift of this size will do so much, from equipment and technology, to patient support programs that are not reimbursed by payers, to ensuring every patient gets the expert care they need regardless of their ability to pay. We are honored and privileged to have Tom Golisano’s support for the kids who need it most.”
