Childrens Hospitals Foundation Returns To A Familiar Number For Campaigns Fundraising Goal

It has been nearly 80 years since Joe DiMaggio and the number “56” were forever entwined, thanks to a consecutive game hitting streak considered to be one of the most unbreakable records in sports. Now the children’s hospital that bears his name is ready to make its own history with the number and the commitment to healthcare excellence it represents today.

The nonprofit Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation has established a $56 million capital campaign goal to underwrite a substantial portion of the cost to increase Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital to eight floors, doubling its current size to more than 300,000 sq. ft. The organization established the target at its most recent Board of Directors meeting and announced it had already raised more than $35 million through its “Catch the Love” fundraising.

“It was important to us that philanthropy significantly contribute to the estimated $170 million cost of the children’s hospital expansion, since donors have made it clear they are committed to ‘Joe D.’ Having the space and resources to be the finest pediatric facility in America,” said Dr. Andrew Greenfield, board chair of the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation. “The connection to an iconic number already associated with Joe DiMaggio made $56 million a logical goal.”

Construction at the children’s hospital is ongoing, with the project expected to be completed late in 2022. The additional four floors will feature:

• 72 new patient rooms
• Two cardiac hybrid operating rooms
• Two surgical suites
• Intensive care and cardiac intensive care units
• Intraoperative MRI
• Play zones
• Rehab
• Family support areas

“This project will ensure that Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital remains uniquely qualified to treat the most complex and critical conditions, so that South Florida kids and families won’t have to travel elsewhere to receive the highest quality medical care,” said Brett Rose, chair of the “Catch the Love” campaign. “By making a gift toward our $56 million goal, donors are ensuring the future of a critically important resource and personally making a difference in our community.”

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is one of the nation’s leading pediatric hospitals, offering a comprehensive scope of healthcare services and programs in a caring, compassionate setting designed specifically for children. A level one trauma center, it combines advanced technology, the expertise of board-certified specialists, and a patient and family-centered approach to heal the body, mind, and spirit of those it touches.

“They do a remarkable job of making the hospital not feel like a hospital,” said Jeff Conine, a former major league ballplayer that knew Joe DiMaggio and has been a philanthropic supporter for more than 25 years. “They treat you like family and ‘Catch the Love’ embodies the belief that together we can create something even more special.”

The hospital’s nonprofit foundation focuses on philanthropy to positively impact patients, families, and underwrite programs, facilities, and equipment that support the pediatric facility’s mission.