History
Protecting the most precious gift of all summarizes the spirit of why and how Kosair Charities came to be.
1923 – A vision to help children
At a time when poverty was commonplace and typhoid fever, polio, diphtheria and smallpox killed or disabled a promising population of children, a group of Shriners shared an ambitious vision — to prevent the ravages of these disabling diseases from the children of Kentucky.
A committee of members from Louisville’s Kosair Shrine Temple — doctors, lawyers, and community leaders — formed Kosair Charities. Their mission was to provide the highest quality health care possible for children who had nowhere else to turn.
Just three years later, the committee had tangible proof of their vision. The Kosair Crippled Children’s Hospital opened on Eastern Parkway and rapidly established itself as the region’s premier orthopedic and polio treatment facility. For decades, the hospital’s doctors, nurses and therapists helped children benefit from advances in orthopedic treatment and polio care discovered elsewhere, while helping discover new treatments.
1981 – Broadening the scope of services
After years of operating, Kosair Charities came to an agreement with the Norton Healthcare System to create Kosair Children’s Hospital, which is today ranked as one of the nation’s top pediatric hospitals. As part of the agreement, Kosair Charities committed to helping pediatric patients who were unable to pay for hospital services.
Since it no longer had the responsibility of operating a health care facility, Kosair Charities also broadened its scope of support. It began providing grants to support pediatric programs such as The Kosair Charities Pediatric Center at the University of Louisville, which houses the Child Evaluation Center and therapeutic programs such as the K.I.D.S. Center and the Spina Bifida Association of Kentucky. The organization also began to provide individual help to indigent children outside hospital environments through the Special Kids program, which arranges for medical referrals, financial assistance and transportation.
2000s – Groundbreaking commitments
In 2001, Kosair Charities announced a crucial and vital $6.2 million contribution to the Home of the Innocents’ new 20-acre children’s village. The Home of the Innocents, which was caring for medically fragile children at a severely overcrowded facility, was offered a chance to establish a long-dreamed campus. The Home of the Innocents Kosair Charities Pediatric Convalescent Center opened in June 2003.
Also in 2001, Frazier Rehab Institute of Louisville accepted a $2.5 million gift to build the new Kosair Charities Pediatric Pavilion.
In June 2004, Kosair Charities announced a $5 million gift to the Cardiovascular Innovations Institute – a partnership of the University of Louisville and Jewish Hospital HealthCare Services – to create the Kosair Charities Pediatric Heart Research Center. The pediatric center focuses on assessing and developing better heart assist devices that meet the special needs of children.
Two years later, Kosair Charities granted Brooklawn Child and Family Services $2 million to build four new campus facilities. The grant remains the largest gift received by Brooklawn in its 155-year history.
In January 2007, Kosair Charities made a 20-year commitment to provide $130 million in support to Kosair Children’s Hospital. Of that grant, $117 million was dedicated to children unable to pay for hospital services, and $13 million will foster growth plans.
Today
Kosair Charities is the largest charity in the history of the Kentucky and Southern Indiana region that provides for the medical care of children. It also is the largest private financial supporter of Kosair Children’s Hospital.
Thousands of kids from hometowns throughout Kentucky and Southern Indiana have benefited from the nearly $216 million Kosair Charities has given in support of children since the 1980s.
For more information, view Kosair Charities’ Then and Now.