CLEVELAND — Although the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing, University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital said it’s already preparing for the next public health emergency. 

What You Need To Know

  • UH Rainbow was granted a $48 million grant to fight future pandemics

  • The hospital began working on preparing for public health disasters before COVID-19

  • Four other hospitals are involved in the project

  • The $48 million grant marks the largest received by UH Rainbow

On Monday, the hospital announced it was awarded a $48 million award from the Health Resources and Services Administration to establish a Regional Pediatric Pandemic Network. The network “will support the planning and preparation of child health care facilities to respond to global health threats, including pandemics, and support communities in everyday pediatric readiness,” the hospital said. 

UH Rainbow is among five pediatric hospitals that are part of the network — University of California San Francisco-Benioff Children's Hospital, University of Louisville (Ky.) School of Medicine-Norton Children's Hospital, University of Utah Health-Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City and St. Louis University-Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital..

UH Rainbow said it began preparing for public health disasters before the coronavirus pandemic, partnering with other pediatric hospitals throughout Ohio and Michigan. 

“We began this work before the global pandemic, and 2020 proved how important it is for hospitals, health care infrastructures, government and private entities to work together to create a coordinated emergency response model,” says Dr. Charles Macias, who will lead the Regional Pediatric Pandemic Network. “This grant is an amazing opportunity to grow a national model whose impact can inform all aspects of pediatric preparedness, from daily efforts to global health threats.”

The 244-bed children’s hospital has 750,000 patient encounters annually. The $48 million grant marks the largest gift received by UH Rainbow.

“The pandemic’s impact on children and the health care systems that care for children extend beyond the diagnosis and management of infectious diseases to challenges with access to care and a behavioral health crisis,” says Daniel Simon, president of Academic & External Affairs and chief scientific officer at University Hospitals. “This new network will help to accelerate research-informed pediatric care transformation for sick and injured children across national organizations and infrastructures and we are proud to be leading efforts here in Cleveland and the nation.”

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