This surgery, performed at Primary Children’s Grant Scott Bonham Fetal Center, repaired her spina bifida, a common spine condition that develops during gestation. Abigail and her mom, Alisha, were the first in Utah to have this operation, a revolutionary treatment that has helped Abigail take steps and play like other kids her age.
This life-changing care wasn't available in the Intermountain West until strong partnerships were forged between Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital and generous members of the communities we serve. This kind of teamwork has been essential to meeting the growing healthcare needs of our nation's children, just like Abigail Rose.
Last November, community leaders and Intermountain Health revealed Primary Promise, our $600 million plan to build the Nation’s Model Health System for Children.
Thanks to the community's support, we’ve raised over $500 million towards our goal to comprehensively address children’s health. As a result, Primary Promise has already made impressive advancements, including:
- Extending our innovative virtual hospital networks to outlying communities, bringing Primary Children’s top-notch care to at-risk communities, helping keep our patients closer to home.
- Strengthening pediatric behavioral health services with a crisis line and mobile response units, offering free care in a child's home.
- Establishing a new center for personalized medicine, providing groundbreaking, unique treatments for kids with rare conditions
- The creation of the Grant Scott Bonham Fetal Center, the facility that helped Abigail Rose.
And today, we announced an $18 million gift from the Sorenson Legacy Foundation and the Joseph and Kathleen Sorenson Legacy Foundation that has allowed us to redesign our cancer center. We now offer spacious private rooms, cutting-edge technologies, and kid-friendly areas to play and be with family or friends.
However, healthcare faces significant challenges nationwide. Hospitals are dealing with tighter budgets, and there's a persistent shortage of medical staff, making it tough to provide care for children in need.
But the truth is, our kids can't wait. And our caregivers are ready to lead us towards a brighter future, today.
We’re treating more children with complex needs, and research tells us that social factors, like access to quality education and healthy, stable environments, play a vital role in health outcomes. Unfortunately, many support programs that address these factors aren't covered by insurance. Hospitals alone can't bear the cost of creating a complete healthcare system for everyone, and governmental support can only go so far.
That's why philanthropy is so essential to help solve issues. Through generous gifts we can strengthen healthcare for all children and enhance countless lives and communities.
I’ve seen firsthand what's possible when we work with community and philanthropic leaders to face challenges together. By identifying needs and creating a clear plan, we can ensure the Child is First and Always for the next 100 years. I'm thankful to the many community leaders and Intermountain Health and Primary Children’s caregivers who have boldly joined us in this mission.
Please visit PrimaryPromise.org to learn more.