Panda Cares Foundation donates $500,000 to Olsrud Family Women’s and Children’s Hospital project

Local Panda Express stores provide year-round philanthropic support for children’s health services

Panda Cares®, the philanthropic arm of Panda Restaurant Group, has pledged $500,000 to support the new Olsrud Family Women’s and Children’s Hospital at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. Panda Express managers from Medford and Grants Pass joined Asante leaders on a hard-hat tour of the new pavilion, where the gift will be recognized in the future Child Life Active Room, which will become a Panda Cares Center of Hope (PCCOH).

Asante is one of 170 member hospitals of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. As a national fundraising partner, Panda Restaurant Group empowers its Panda Express retail stores to fundraise for their local hospital affiliated with CMN Hospitals. Three Panda Express locations in Southern Oregon fundraise year-round to support children’s health at Asante.

“It takes community participation at every level to build this new facility for children and families – from this generous commitment from the Panda Cares Foundation to each person who chooses to round up their purchase to support children’s health. We are all in this together. It’s exciting to share this future impact with local Panda Express leaders,” said Andrea Reeder, vice president and executive director of Asante Foundation.  

Inside the Pediatrics Unit, the PCCOH will be a place where kids can be kids, with toys, art supplies, and even gaming consoles for older children and teens. It is one of the places in the new facility where Asante’s child life specialist will engage and support kids outside of their hospital rooms. Child life specialists attend graduate school and complete advanced clinical training in order to help children and families cope with the stress and trauma that can come with illness and hospitalization.

The Olsrud Family Women’s and Children’s Hospital is part of the AsanteForward capital campaign. This facility will inhabit the top two floors of the new six-story pavilion at Asante Rogue Regional. For the first time, these floors will bring pediatric and perinatal services into one area of the hospital. This includes new and expanded space for the following services:

• Pediatrics unit for inpatient care of children up to age 17.
• Pediatric outpatient infusion clinic for children facing cancer and other serious illnesses.
• The region’s only level III Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
• Labor and delivery.
• Family Newborn Unit.
• Obstetrics.
• OB Emergency Department.
• Support programs and services, such as Child Life.

Learn more or make a gift today at www.asantefoundation.org.