Commitment brings Children's Hospital campaign total to $62 million

Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital leaders today announced a $1 million commitment from The Hershey Co. toward the building of a new, free-standing Children’s Hospital. This generous gift brings the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital campaign to $62 million of its $65 million goal.

“Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital already provides outstanding care to children and families in the central Pennsylvania region, and a free-standing facility will allow us to better meet their unique needs,” said Harold L. Paz, Medical Center chief executive officer, Penn State’s senior vice president for health affairs, and dean of the Penn State College of Medicine. “The new Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital would not be possible without the generosity of individual and corporate partners, like The Hershey Co., who understand that children deserve to get the care they need right here in their home community.”

The gift will create The Hershey Co. Safety Center, a space dedicated to easily accessible safety education and affordable safety resources for parents and other caregivers.

“We are pleased to help make Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital a reality,” said David J. West, president and chief executive officer at the Hershey Co. “This gift is consistent with our heritage of making a positive difference in central Pennsylvania and builds on our long-term commitment to helping children in the communities where we live and work. Over the years, our company and our employees have been proud supporters of Penn State Hershey Medical Center, and this gift builds on our unique relationship.”

Located in the Family and Child Resource Center on the first floor of the new Children’s Hospital, the Safety Center will be a convenient place for the public to buy child safety products at low prices and receive free injury prevention information. Trained health educators will be on site to answer questions on important safety topics and provide guidance on product use, such as how to correctly fit a helmet and install a child safety seat.

“The leading causes of injuries to children admitted to Children’s Hospital are motor vehicle-related trauma and falls, and through our injury prevention program, we are committed to preventing as many of these injuries as possible,” said A. Craig Hillemeier, Children’s Hospital medical director. “The Hershey Co.’s commitment helps us further that goal of childhood injury prevention through additional safety resources and education for caregivers.”

The 252,000-square-foot, five-story Children’s Hospital will represent the leading edge in medical facility design and be the embodiment of the Medical Center’s commitment to family-centered care. The nearly $207 million facility will connect via walkway to the resources of the main hospital, while serving as an integrated, free-standing home for primary pediatric services at the Medical Center.

Founded in 1963 through a gift from The Milton S. Hershey Foundation, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is one of the leading teaching and research hospitals in the country. The 484-bed Medical Center is a provider of high-level, patient-focused medical care. Annually the Medical Center admits nearly 27,000 patients, accepts more than 800,000 outpatient visits, receives more 50,000 patients for emergency room visits and performs more than 23,000 surgical procedures. The Medical Center campus also includes Penn State College of Medicine (Penn State’s medical school), Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, and Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital -- the region’s only children’s hospital. The Medical Center campus is part of Penn State Hershey Health System, which also includes the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute, Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital, and other specialty facilities. For more information, visit http://www.pennstatehershey.org/ online.

The Hershey Co. (NYSE: HSY) is the largest producer of chocolate in North America and a global leader in chocolate and sugar confectionery. Headquartered in Hershey, Pa., The Hershey Co. has operations throughout the world and more than 12,000 employees. The Milton Hershey School, established by the company’s founder in 1909, provides a nurturing environment, quality education, housing, and medical care at no cost to children in social and financial need. The school is administered by the Hershey Trust Co., Hershey’s largest shareholder, making the students of Milton Hershey School direct beneficiaries of Hershey’s success.