Tom Golisano creates Golisano Children’s Alliance with 10 children’s hospitals across Eastern United States
Oct. 28, 2025 – Lee Health’s Golisano Children’s Hospital is proud to join a new national alliance of hospitals that bear the Golisano name, strengthening a shared commitment to advancing pediatric healthcare. The announcement was made October 28 by philanthropist and Paychex founder Tom Golisano during a conference at the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship in Rochester, New York, marking a major milestone as Mr. Golisano’s lifetime giving surpasses $1 billion.
The newly formed Golisano Children’s Alliance unites Lee Health’s Golisano Children’s Hospital with nine other children’s hospitals under a shared mission to elevate pediatric care through collaboration, innovation, and accessibility:
- Golisano Children’s Hospital at University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
- Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse NY
- John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital, Buffalo, NY
- Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Hartford, CT
- Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, Hershey, PA
- University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital, Lexington, KY
- University of Maryland Children’s Hospital, Baltimore, MD
- University of Vermont Children’s Hospital, Burlington, VT
- West Virginia University Medicine Children’s Hospital, Morgantown, WV
“Tom Golisano’s continued support of pediatric healthcare across the nation is remarkable,” said Dr. Emad Salman, vice president and chief physician executive at Golisano Children’s Hospital. “Here in Southwest Florida, his generosity has been truly transformative, and we are deeply grateful for the impact he continues to make on the children and families in our community.”
The Golisano Children’s Alliance is dedicated to expanding pediatric services, strengthening cross-institutional collaboration, and ensuring that families everywhere have access to exceptional pediatric care.
Golisano Children’s Hospital, based in Fort Myers, serves the 5-county region of Southwest Florida. It was the third hospital named by Tom Golisano, following his $20 million donation in 2012 to name the hospital and fund the construction of the current 135-bed facility.
In 2024, Mr. Golisano deepened his commitment to children and families in Southwest Florida with an additional $10 million unrestricted gift to expand and enhance pediatric healthcare throughout the region. His extraordinary generosity has helped transform the hospital into a regional destination for comprehensive, compassionate pediatric care, serving thousands of children each year.
Guided by the core values of excellence, collaboration, accessibility, compassion, innovation, and stewardship, the new alliance will foster partnerships across institutions to share best practices, advance research, and build sustainable pediatric health systems that carry forward Tom Golisano’s legacy of generosity and inclusion.
“Our nurses and care teams see firsthand how compassion and connection transform the lives of the children and families that we care for,” said Alyssa Kasiewicz, vice president, chief nurse and operations executive at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. “Joining this alliance lets us do more than care for our community; it lets us help shape the future of pediatric healthcare by sharing ideas, learning from peers, and continually raising the standard for the children and families who depend on us.”
As one of the founding members of the Golisano Children’s Alliance, Lee Health’s Golisano Children’s Hospital is proud to welcome new institutions under the Golisano name and looks forward to building a future defined by shared learning, compassion, and innovation.
About Golisano Children’s Hospital
Golisano Children’s Hospital, a nationally recognized facility for safety and quality care, is one of five acute care hospitals within Lee Health. Established in 1994, Golisano is the only designated children’s hospital in Southwest Florida, with over 500,000 visits a year, serving patients from six surrounding counties. Ranked as a Top Children’s Hospital by Leapfrog, a Solution for Patient Safety network hospital, an Asthma Friendly Hospital and a certified center for children with Autism, Golisano offers over thirty specialty pediatric services in various locations across SWFL. Lee Health opened the current hospital building in May 2017 which includes 135-beds and comprehensive neonatal and pediatric services. For more information, visit LeeHealth.org/Golisano-Childrens-Hospital.