A landmark $50 million gift from entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader Tom Golisano marks a defining moment for the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) and the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB). As the largest philanthropic contribution in their history, this transformative investment will strengthen the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) and the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) as leaders in breakthrough science, education, and compassionate care — shaping healthier futures for generations of children.
In tribute to this historic gift, the children’s hospital, located inside UMMC, the flagship hospital of UMMS, becomes the University of Maryland Golisano Children’s Hospital (UMGCH). As a new member of the Golisano Children’s Alliance, it joins a growing national coalition of premier children’s hospitals dedicated to transforming pediatric medicine through collaboration, discovery, and equitable access to world-class care.
From left, Heather Culp, Kim Morton, Bert O’Malley, Tom Golisano, Mark Gladwin, Steven Czinn, and Ron Cummins Jr.
At an event in Rochester, N.Y., Golisano unveiled new gifts to six hospitals — expanding his Golisano Children’s Alliance to a 10-member national network advancing excellence and innovation in pediatric care. Senior leaders from UMMS, UMMC, and UMSOM participated in the announcement. (View a recording of the Rochester event here.)
“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,” Golisano said. “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.”
Steven J. Czinn, MD, director of UMGCH, said, “For nearly 80 years, our Children’s Hospital has been caring for Maryland’s children and families right here in downtown Baltimore. Tom Golisano’s extraordinary gift will help us create a world-class facility with programs in gene and cell therapy that move us closer to cures once thought out of reach. It will allow us to attract the best pediatric specialists in these fields — the future of pediatric health care — while accelerating the growth of our existing programs in heart care, mental health, and community health.
“This investment will establish a lasting legacy of healing and excellence for the children of Baltimore and beyond,” added Czinn, who also is the Drs. Rouben and Violet Jiji Endowed Professor of Pediatrics and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at UMSOM.
“This historic and transformational gift comes at a time of urgency and opportunity for pediatric care in Maryland. It will have lasting impact across generations of children and families. We are deeply grateful to Tom Golisano for his vision and generosity, and we are incredibly excited to build on the momentum this gift will bring to Baltimore,” said Heather S. Culp, JD, senior vice president for UMMC, Senior associate dean for development at UMSOM, and chief philanthropy officer for University of Maryland Medicine.
Impact of the Gift: Space, Programs, People
Significantly expanding the existing children’s hospital, the gift catalyzes a comprehensive pipeline for innovation in pediatric care, research, workforce development, and community health — advancing bold ideas and life-changing discoveries that will benefit children and families across Maryland and beyond.
Goals include:
- A Dedicated Home for the University of Maryland Golisano Children’s Hospital
- Expansion of Advanced Clinical Programs
- Launch of Gene Therapy Services for Children
- Acceleration of Innovation and Research
- Strengthen Community Outreach and Access
- Recruiting and Retention of Top Pediatric Talent
Golisano Invests in Maryland’s Flagship for Children’s Health
UMGCH, a 90-bed facility with over 3,000 annual admissions and 118,000 outpatient visits, serves as a statewide leader in pediatric care. Supported by UMMS and guided by the nation’s first public medical school, the hospital’s reach spans the entire state while its proximity to Washington, D.C., helps shape national health policy.
Research initiatives affiliated with the hospital — including the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, the Brain Tissue Bank, asthma management, pediatric HIV research and treatment — are driving breakthroughs in genetics, infectious diseases, and child health outcomes. In a recent example of this research leading to direct benefits for families in Maryland, studies of former neonatal intensive care patients informed the state’s decision to expand eligibility for early intervention services to hundreds more children each year.
The hospital operates Maryland’s largest Level IV neonatal intensive care unit and recently cared for the youngest patient in its history at 22 weeks gestation. It was the first in the state to perform a pediatric double heart-lung transplant, the first to treat a pediatric patient with stem cells, and is home to downtown Baltimore’s dedicated pediatric emergency department. As a regional hub for pediatric intensive care, UMGCH co-operates a statewide transport network to ensure that critically ill children receive timely, specialized treatment. Its children’s heart program, founded in 2012, is recognized as one of the top such programs in the nation.
Beyond clinical care, UMGCH fosters community through physician-led camps and annual patient reunions, strengthening connections between families and care teams.
The Heart of Why Funding Pediatrics Matters
As a registered nurse at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center, Angela Laubach sees miracles happen every day. But she’s also experienced this care in the most personal way, because her daughter Lana is one of those miracles. During Angela’s 20-week anatomy scan, she learned that Lana had a serious heart defect.
“As a nurse, I understood the gravity of the diagnosis, but nothing prepares you to hear those words about your own baby. The team at the children’s hospital guided us through every moment — from Lana’s open-heart surgery just six days after birth to her remarkable recovery — with compassion and constant reassurance. Today, Lana is a joyful 3-year-old who fills our home with laughter and endless ideas. Literally, her favorite thing to say is ‘I have a better idea,’ ” Laubach said.
Voices Across the Institutions
Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA, President and CEO, UMMS
“A gift of this magnitude to our flagship children’s hospital enables us to expand pediatric expertise, improve access, and strengthen care teams across our entire system. As a result, more children in more communities will receive the specialized care they need closer to home.”
Mark T. Gladwin, MD, Dean, UMSOM, and Vice President for Medical Affairs, UMB
“We are so grateful for this profound and intentional gift from Tom Golisano, which comes at a critical time when children’s health in the U.S. is in alarming decline and funding for children’s health is increasingly at risk. Mr. Golisano is truly a remarkable individual who has put children’s health at the heart of his philanthropic mission. His tremendous generosity enables our children’s hospital to move forward as a bold leader in pediatric health across Maryland and beyond, enabling us to invest in cutting-edge technology and inspiring innovation among our pediatricians and pediatric surgeons in areas such as congenital heart care, targeted gene therapy, community health, and building new programs for curative therapies for pediatric genetic diseases and cancer."
Bert W. O’Malley, MD, Executive Vice President for the Academic Health Division at UMMS; President of UMMC; and Professor of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, UMSOM
“As part of a statewide academic health system, we have long had the privilege to provide Maryland children with high-quality, compassionate care and advanced treatments for some of the most complex pediatric conditions. By joining the Golisano Children’s Alliance, we’re now connected to a national network of top children’s hospitals. Together, we can discover and share best practices, align on standards, and launch innovative models that reach more children.”
Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, President, UMB
“By joining the Golisano Children’s Alliance, University of Maryland, Baltimore faculty, researchers, and clinicians are further empowered to accelerate breakthroughs across all areas of childhood health and well-being. We are immensely grateful for Tom Golisano’s generosity, and we remain deeply committed to transforming the future of pediatric health here in Maryland and beyond.”
Ron V. Cummins Jr., MBA, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, UMMC
“The Golisanos’ historic and generous gift is an enduring investment in Maryland’s children — accelerating access to the most advanced treatments, and nurturing spaces — so that every child and family in our community receives care that honors their hopes and needs. The benefits of this gift will be felt for decades.”
About Tom Golisano
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. Mr. Golisano’s vision, perseverance, and action have left an indelible mark on a broad spectrum of issues that touch our lives in business, health care, education, animal welfare, voter policies, politics, and tax reform. His investments are advancing entrepreneurship and driving the success of numerous businesses and startups. His philanthropic contributions to education, hospitals — including multiple children’s hospitals across the country that bear his name and numerous other organizations — exceed $1 billion.
A fierce advocate for dignity and inclusion, Tom Golisano applied his pioneering spirit to establish the Golisano Foundation in 1985 to make the world a better place for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With more than $120 million in gross assets, it is one of the largest private foundations in the United States devoted to supporting programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and awarding grants to nonprofit organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida.
Golisano formed and financially supports the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship, where students receive a high-quality business certificate and write their own entrepreneurial success stories, without having to take on enormous debt. He is the author of two Books, “Built Not Born,” a Wall Street Journal best-seller, and “The Italian Kid Did It!”
Connect with him at: Golisanofoundation.org, Facebook: @GolisanoFoundation, X: @GolisanoFdn, Instagram: @golisanofdn, YouTube: @GolisanoFoundation
About the University of Maryland Golisano Children’s Hospital (UMGCH)
Located within the University of Maryland Medical Center, the University of Maryland Golisano Children’s Hospital is a leading resource for children with critical and chronic illnesses throughout Maryland and the mid-Atlantic. The hospital combines state-of-the-art medicine with family-centered care, offering more than 190 specialized pediatric physicians. Its services include Maryland’s largest Level IV neonatal intensive care unit and comprehensive programs in congenital heart conditions, asthma, epilepsy, and gastrointestinal disorders. Visit www.umms.org/childrens for more information.
About the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS)
As an academic private health system, UMMS is focused on delivering compassionate, high-quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban, and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.
About the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM)
The University of Maryland School of Medicine, established in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States, continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world. The school has nearly $500 million in total research funding; 46 departments, centers, and institutes; more than 2,200 student trainees; and over 3,000 faculty members, including notable members of the National Academy of Medicine. As the largest public medical school in the Washington, D.C./Maryland/Virginia region, faculty physicians are working to help patients manage chronic diseases like obesity, cancer, heart disease and addiction, while also working on cutting-edge research to address the most critical generational health challenges. In 2024, the school ranked No. 12 among public medical schools and No. 27 among all medical schools for research and development expenditures by the National Science Foundation. With a $1.3 billion total operating budget, the school partners with the University of Maryland Medical Center to serve nearly 2 million patients annually. The school’s global reach extends around the world with research and treatment facilities in 33 countries. In Maryland, UMSOM is spearheading new initiatives in AI and health computing and partnering with the University of Maryland BioPark to develop new medical technologies and bioengineering ventures. For more information, visit medschool.umaryland.edu.