Announcing a $1 million challenge grant for Driscoll Hospital’s expansion plan are (from left) Steve Woerner, president and CEO of Driscoll Health System; Bill Sterett, chair of Family Division; Mary D. Clark, member of Driscoll Governing Board and co-chair of futuresbright campaign; Sam L. Susser, chair of Driscoll Governing Board and co-chair of futuresbright campaign; Lenora Keas, member of Driscoll Governing Board; Paul Daniel Chapa, member of Driscoll Governing Board; Judge Loyd Neal, past chair of Driscoll Governing Board; and Dr. Bob Furgason, trustee of Robert Driscoll and Julia Driscoll and Robert Driscoll Jr. Foundation. Courtesy photo

Announcing a $1 million challenge grant for Driscoll Hospital’s expansion plan are (from left) Steve Woerner, president and CEO of Driscoll Health System; Bill Sterett, chair of Family Division; Mary D. Clark, member of Driscoll Governing Board and co-chair of futuresbright campaign; Sam L. Susser, chair of Driscoll Governing Board and co-chair of futuresbright campaign; Lenora Keas, member of Driscoll Governing Board; Paul Daniel Chapa, member of Driscoll Governing Board; Judge Loyd Neal, past chair of Driscoll Governing Board; and Dr. Bob Furgason, trustee of Robert Driscoll and Julia Driscoll and Robert Driscoll Jr. Foundation. Courtesy photo

Driscoll Children’s Hospital will receive a $1 million grant if it raises the remaining balance of its futuresbright campaign by January 2018. The hospital is already halfway to the $16 million goal of the futuresbright campaign, which was launched in May 2016 as part of the effort to fund the hospital’s $80 million expansion. The $1 million challenge grant has been promised by the J.E. and L.E. MBA Foundation in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 
“Driscoll Children’s Hospital is growing, and we’re out of room,” said Steve Woerner, president and CEO of Driscoll Health System. “It’s imperative for us to expand the facilities now to better serve the children and families of our community.”
The expansion includes a two-story, 70,000-square-foot North Pavilion that will create a new Outpatient Surgery Center and modernize the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
The pavilion will make way for renovations in other areas of the hospital, including the current Surgical Services Department. The addition of a new central plant and the expansion of the current parking garage will strengthen current infrastructure and ease navigation of the hospital. It all will be connected by a bright, cheerful concourse with natural lights and play areas, allowing for a more inviting, child-friendly environment.
Those interested in helping are asked to spread the word as well as make donations. The community can support the futuresbright campaign by attending upcoming events, sharing social media posts or simply passing along information, said Mary D. Clark, Driscoll Governing Board trustee and co-chair of the futuresbright campaign. 
“The Mabee Challenge is a call for us to unite for a cause so deeply impactful to local children and families,” Clark said. “We can’t do it without the support of the community.”
To volunteer or donate, visit driscollchildrens.org or call (361) 694-6405.