Hall Family Foundation gives hospital $25 million

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Children's Mercy Hospital, one of the nation's leading pediatric centers, has received the largest gift in its 104-year history, nearly $25 million from the Hall Family Foundation.

The gift, which was announced Wednesday, will go toward the hospital's five-year $64 million Destiny plan, which includes a new clinic and research building at Children's Mercy's Kansas City campus.

At the hospital's south campus in Overland Park, Kan., the expansion includes a parking garage and a building for specialty clinics, urgent care and 15 inpatient beds.

The Destiny program is part of a 10-year, $129 million growth plan at the two campuses. With the latest gift from the Hall Family Foundation, the hospital has raised $32 million of that amount.

"We're continuing our fund-raising efforts on a national level as well as locally and regionally," said Tom McCormally, Children's Mercy spokesman.

Foundation president Bill Hall said the expansion's new research facilities would raise Children's Mercy's profile in the pediatric medical community in the field of life sciences research.

Children's Mercy performs research in areas such as clinical pharmacology.

The gift illustrates the Hall family's dedication to the hospital and validates "the mission of Children's Mercy and our goal to be recognized as the finest children's hospital in the entire world," said Randall L. O'Donnell, hospital president and chief executive officer.