$253M Directed to Six Newly Funded Golisano Children’s Hospitals; Alliance Will Advance and Expand Access to Pediatric Care
Rochester, N.Y., October 28, 2025—Tom Golisano, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader, announced the creation of the Golisano Children’s Alliance with a commitment of $253 million to six new Children’s Hospitals. This support will unite the six newly-funded and four existing Golisano Children’s Hospitals to establish the Golisano Children’s Alliance to more easily share resources and expand access to crucial pediatric care. This landmark commitment raises Mr. Golisano’s lifetime philanthropic giving to more than $1 billion.
Hospitals receiving first-time gifts include:
- Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Hartford, CT ($50 million)
- Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, Hershey, PA ($50 million)
- University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital, Lexington, KY ($50 million)
- University of Maryland Children’s Hospital, Baltimore, MD ($50 million)
- University of Vermont Children’s Hospital, Burlington, VT ($25 million)
- WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital, Morgantown, WV ($28 million)
They join Golisano Children’s Hospitals at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, N.Y.; Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, N.Y.; Golisano Children’s Hospital of Lee Health, Fort Myers, Fl.; and the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital, Buffalo, N.Y., which will become the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Buffalo in January 2026.
“Children’s health has always been a priority for me, and it’s been deeply rewarding to see how the Golisano Children’s Hospitals are making a profound impact on the communities they serve,” said Mr. Golisano. “I am fortunate to be able to help others in this way, and I’m looking forward to seeing what these hospitals can achieve together. Also, I plan to continue making similar transformative gifts that will strengthen this new alliance.”
With 10 connected hospitals, the Golisano Children’s Alliance aims to elevate pediatric care by expanding services, strengthening collaboration, and ensuring that children and families have access to the highest quality medical attention close to home. Together, these healthcare facilities—and potentially others to come—will build a nationally recognized network that exemplifies excellence, dignity, and innovation in pediatric healthcare.
“The impact this gift will have for our hospital and the others receiving donations cannot be overstated. At Kentucky Children’s Hospital, we treat young people from all across the state,” said Scottie B. Day, MD, FAAP, Physician in Chief for the University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital. “Knowing the life-changing resources this will bring to these children and their families in their greatest time of need is truly inspiring. We look forward to being part of the Golisano Children’s Alliance that will strengthen children’s healthcare for years to come.”
“The opportunity to change pediatric healthcare in such a profound way is incredible. The work starts today,” said Erica Dayton, executive director of the Golisano Foundation. “Through this new group partnership, we know more children will receive world-class care, regardless of where they live.”
“As the first Golisano Children’s Hospital, we have had the privilege of witnessing the power of what these donations can do to transform children’s lives,” said Jill Halterman, MD, MPH., Physician in Chief for the Golisano Children’s Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center. “It’s exciting to know that other hospitals will soon be benefitting as well, and we’re eager to collaborate with them in advancing care for children across the country.”
Details regarding naming for the six newly funded hospitals will be shared in the months ahead.
This series of gifts comes two weeks after announcing the second location for the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship in Buffalo, N.Y. A higher education business school founded in Rochester, N.Y., in 2023 by Mr. Golisano.
For more information on the Golisano Children’s Alliance, visit golisanofoundation.org/alliance.
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About Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation
Tom Golisano—entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader—is the founder of Paychex, Inc., the nation’s largest human resource company for small to medium-sized businesses, providing integrated human capital management solutions for payroll, benefits, human resources, and insurance services for more than 745,000 clients in the U.S. and Europe. Mr. Golisano’s vision, perseverance, and action have left an indelible mark on a broad spectrum of issues that touch our lives—in business, healthcare, education, voter policies, politics, and tax reform. His continuing investments are helping to advance entrepreneurship through the 2023 establishment of the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship, as well as driving the success of numerous businesses and start-ups. His personal philanthropic contributions to hospitals—including three children’s hospitals that bear his name—and numerous educational institutions, his Foundation, and other organizations now exceed $860 million. He has dedicated more than $145 million to advancing inclusive health around the world, helping to close the substantial gap in access to care for people with intellectual disabilities.
A fierce advocate for dignity and inclusion, in 1985, Mr. Golisano applied his pioneering spirit to establish the Golisano Foundation to make the world a better place for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With more than $120 million now in gross assets, it is one of the largest private foundations in the U.S. devoted to supporting programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, awarding about $5 million annually to non-profit organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida.
Mr. Golisano is the author of two books, “Built Not Born,” a Wall Street Journal bestseller, and “The Italian Kid Did It.” He is listed on the Forbes 400.
Connect with us at Golisanofoundation.org, @GolisanoFdn, @ThomasGolisano
