Steve Shaffer | UK Photo
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Tom Golisano has committed $50 million to the University of Kentucky and UK HealthCare, marking the largest gift in UK HealthCare’s history and the second-largest in university history. The investment will dramatically expand pediatric health care across Kentucky and solidify the institution’s place within a new national children’s health network.
Golisano, founder of Paychex Inc., the nation’s largest human resources company for small and medium-sized businesses, and the Golisano Foundation, announced the gift Tuesday in Lexington.
The donation establishes the Golisano Children’s Alliance, a collaboration among 10 children’s hospitals in eight states that will share expertise, expand specialized services, and improve access to care closer to home. The initiative brings Golisano’s lifetime giving to more than $1 billion.
“This gift supports the health and well-being of children in the Commonwealth,” Golisano said. “As part of the Golisano Children’s Alliance, UK HealthCare becomes part of a nationally recognized network of children’s hospitals that exemplifies excellence, dignity, and innovation in pediatric health care.”
In recognition of the gift, the UK Board of Trustees on Tuesday approved renaming Kentucky Children’s Hospital and its affiliated sites. The hospital will become Golisano Children’s at UK, while Kentucky Children’s Richmond Road will become Golisano Children’s at UK – Richmond Road. The affiliate network will be renamed Golisano Children’s at UK – Affiliate Network.
Funds from the donation will enhance the hospital’s facilities, expand the statewide affiliate network, and strengthen programs designed to recruit and train pediatric health professionals.
“We are honored and incredibly grateful to Mr. Golisano,” said UK President Eli Capilouto. “His generosity is a testament to his faith in what we provide to Kentucky and its children — a promise to extend compassionate care, to more patients, closer to home. We’ll translate his gift into acts of goodness to ensure a healthier, wealthier and wiser Kentucky.”
Scottie B. Day, physician-in-chief for Kentucky Children’s Hospital, said the impact of the gift “cannot be overstated.”
“At Kentucky Children’s Hospital, we treat young people from across the state,” Day said. “Knowing the life-changing resources this will bring to these children and their families in their greatest time of need is truly inspiring.”
Founded in 1997 as a “hospital within a hospital,” the facility was renamed Kentucky Children’s Hospital in 2005 to reflect its statewide mission. Today, it offers more than 210 beds across six units, including specialized programs such as the Makenna David Pediatric Emergency Department, DanceBlue Hematology/Oncology Clinic, and the Joint Pediatric Heart Care Program with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital — one of the nation’s top-ranked pediatric heart programs.
Recent expansions include Kentucky Children’s Richmond Road, which opened in 2023 with four specialty clinics, and the Kentucky Children’s Hospital Affiliate Network, launched earlier this year to connect community hospitals statewide to expert pediatric resources.