At Home in San Antonio Since 1869
The story of CHRISTUS Children’s began in 1869, when the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word arrived in the area to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. In those days, San Antonio was still very much a part of the “wild west” — a frontier town plagued by a cholera epidemic and the remnants of the Civil War.
From the beginning, the Sisters made children a top priority. However, it wasn’t until 90 years after their arrival that their focus became exclusively pediatric; in 1959, the Sisters joined with local leaders to build the area’s first and only hospital for children.
Today, the name, physical buildings, and management have evolved and the Sisters continue to play an important role. We’ve grown to become an internationally recognized academic and research hospital. But the commitment to the area’s children has never wavered, and we are honored to carry on the Sisters’ legacy as a family-centered, faith-based non-profit.
History of the Foundation
CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation was chartered in 1955 to carry out a vision: That every child in South Central Texas would receive the best available medical care, even if their parents could not pay. That noble calling remains the Foundation’s driving motivation.
To date, we have raised tens of millions of dollars to cover treatment, research, programs and capital campaigns for building funds.
These accomplishments stand as a testament to the power of your support, and to the goodwill and compassion of our community at large.
NO CHILD WILL EVER BE DENIED CARE AT CHRISTUS Children’s — EVEN IF THEIR PARENTS CANNOT PAY. CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation exists to ensure that sacred promise is kept. We inspire the community’s compassion, and match their goodwill to the Hospital’s vision and needs. Dollars raised support treatment, research and health-related programs, as well as capital projects. There is not a more powerful investment you can make in the health and happiness of local children than by supporting CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation.
The mission of CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation is to support the healing ministry of CHRISTUS Children’s, the only faith-based non-profit children’s hospital in San Antonio. We do this by partnering with a network of volunteers and donors to strengthen health and medical care for the children of San Antonio and South Central Texas, and by championing the effort to transform the new downtown campus into CHRISTUS Children’s.
Your Support Makes a Profound Difference for Children
$10
Twelve monthly $10 gifts can provide 324 preemie-sized diapers for premature babies.
$50
Can help Child Life purchase medical play distraction toys to ease a patient’s anxiety before surgery.
$100
Assists in providing medical care for underserved and uninsured patients.
$150
Can pay for a full dental exam for an uninsured child through the CHRISTUS Children’s Dental Center.
$250
Can help cover the cost of a specialty safety seat for a special needs child.
$500
Can provide six children with access to needed required school vaccines through the Children’s Mobile Clinic.
$1,000
Can pay for one CuddleCot ™ system to assist bereaved parents after the loss of a child.
$2,000
Covers the operating costs for the Center for Miracles for one day.
Your gift will be designated to assist in the areas of greatest need at CHRISTUS Children’s. If you have any questions, please call 210.704.2800 to speak with a gift officer.
How Does a Private Non-profit Hospital that Provides Millions in Free Care Every Year Make Ends Meet?
Not one boy or girl will ever be denied care at CHRISTUS Children’s. But, as the local population booms, the growing number of uninsured and under-insured children represents a serious financial challenge. To shield taxpayers from this burden, CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation operates as a non-profit. Our funding comes from:
What Makes CHRISTUS Children’s Different?
In a word? You. Caring donors like you have transformed us into San Antonio’s premier (and only) academic children’s hospital. All people in the South Central region of Texas can take pride knowing that together, we’ve earned a reputation for excellence and innovation in pediatric care — one making life better for local children every day.
Here are a few of the ways you’re helping us take children’s care to the highest level:
- More than 170 doctors and 400 nurses dedicated to caring for children.
- More than 156 research projects in progress to discover better treatments and cures for numerous childhood diseases.
- The Titanium Rib program, which was developed at CHRISTUS Children’s in 1987, evolved into the Spinal & Thoracic Treatment And Research (STTAR) Center in 2008. The treatment is now widely used, with ongoing research and education saving young lives worldwide.
- At the Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, we provide roughly 7,000 patient visits annually. Our doctors and scientists participate in a variety of studies for cancer genetics, leukemia, brain tumors, solid tumors, hematology and psychology.
- In our Level III Emergency Department, 84,000 children receive critical treatment each year.
- Our Pediatric Dental Center provides specialized dentistry for young patients, including collaboration with our plastic surgeons for patients with Cranial Facial Anomalies and severe malocclusion.
- The Pediatric Rehab Unit provides children debilitated by injury, illness, or birth defect with advanced therapy to ensure they reach optimal function completely and quickly.
- The David Christopher Goldsbury Center for Children and Families is a state-of-the-art center housing 39 pediatric specialty and primary care clinics that serve more than 34,000 children annually.
- Our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) cares for the most critically ill and fragile newborns. It was recognized in 2010 as a member of the OptumHealth Centers of Excellence network, and received the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) Award for Excellence in Life Support in 2014.
- In 2015, opened the CHRISTUS Children’s Emergency Department - Westover Hills, bringing high-quality, pediatric-specific emergency care to the fastest-growing area of San Antonio.
- In 2016, our Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) became the only unit of its kind in Texas recognized by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) with a Silver Beacon Award.
- First hospital in San Antonio to receive the prestigious Baby-Friendly Designation in February 2018. The program encourages the implementation of the Ten Steps of Successful Breastfeeding.
- In July 2018, CHRISTUS Children’s officially earned its Magnet Designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Magnet is the most prestigious designation a health care organization can receive, based on nursing excellence and quality patient outcomes. CHRISTUS Children’s is the first and only freestanding children’s hospital in San Antonio and South Texas to receive this recognition.
- In 2018, opened the CHRISTUS Children’s Emergency Center – Stone Oak, providing a devoted team of pediatric nurses, physicians, and support staff specially trained in the care of children in an emergency to the far northside San Antonio community. The CHRISTUS Children’s Multispecialty Center – Stone Oak provides comprehensive clinics for ENT, gastroenterology, nutrition, genetics, nephrology, oncology, blood disorders, neurology, orthopedics, and audiology.
- In 2019, became the only hospital in Texas recognized by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses with the Beacon Award of Excellence – Gold Level in both the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
- In 2021, opened the Child Life Zone, 4,000 square feet of state-of-the art recreational therapy space, allowing patients and their families an escape from the hospital setting to enjoy a fun environment. The space is only one of 15 in North America and was made possible by our generous donors: Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation, The James B. & Louis R. Archer Charitable Foundation, The Reilly Family, Hope Hits Harder Cancer Foundation, and others.
- In 2022, partnered with Morgan’s Wonderland and several other community organizations to create The MAC (Multi-Assistance Center) – the first of its kind – which provides resources to individuals with special needs and disabilities in one location. Specialists from the comprehensive autism program at CHRISTUS Children’s provide services at the MAC, offering multidisciplinary autism evaluation for children who need a diagnosis for autism or need a diagnosis verified. CHRISTUS Children’s partners with the Autism Treatment Center and UTSA’s Department of Educational Psychology to bring the gold standard treatment for autism, Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy, to children with autism.
- The CHRISTUS Children’s Multispecialty Center – New Braunfels provides a full range of outpatient rehabilitation services including physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy for children. We care for children who may have been born with certain conditions or who are recovering from surgery, injuries or chronic illnesses.
These highlights are just the tip of the iceberg. CHRISTUS Children’s is continually growing and developing for greater effectiveness.
For more information, or to schedule a tour or donate, please call the Foundation office at 210.704.2800. Your partnership drives progress, and every step forward can have a life-changing impact for critically ill or injured children.