Children's Hospital Colorado's Colorado Springs campus has a new name and a transformative infusion of funding after receiving a $40 million donation from entrepreneur and philanthropist Tom Golisano. The gift, described as the largest single benevolent gift to any Children's Hospital Colorado campus statewide, will fund a major expansion at the Colorado Springs location in the Briargate neighborhood, officials announced Thursday.
In recognition of the contribution, the name of the facility is being changed to Children's Hospital Colorado, Golisano Children's Hospital, Colorado Springs. Dignitaries unveiled a sign bearing the new name at the event. The hospital also joined the Golisano Children's Alliance, a national initiative that supports pediatric healthcare.
The local pediatric hospital is one of six in the nation to receive a collective $225 million from the Golisano alliance in the most recent round of funding. From personal experience with pediatric hospitals with members of his family, founder Tom Golisano has awarded 21 pediatric hospitals in the United States with substantial contributions totaling $755 million. Golisano is the founder of Paychex, a payroll and human resources services company, and has owned several sports teams and a fiber internet business in Rochester, N.Y.
The infusion of funding will add more inpatient beds, increase the number of surgeries, enlarge the emergency department to reduce wait times and accommodate more patients, and improve ancillary outpatient buildings, such as its behavioral health center. Expansion plans are being developed but have not yet been solidified, with the work expected to take four to five years to complete.
The need for expanded capacity is underscored by rapid growth since the hospital opened. Children's Colorado opened its Colorado Springs hospital in 2019 as the region's first pediatric-only hospital. Since opening, emergency department volumes have tripled, and the number of children served annually has more than doubled. The hospital currently has 115 beds, which in crunch periods can grow to 128 beds, but more are needed as demand continues to rise.
Hospital leaders said the Colorado Springs campus stood out to the Golisano foundation for several reasons. "Things that jumped out were the unique attributes of our community and the unique families we take care of from urban and rural communities, the military families, our regional reach, kids from mountain communities and from our native populations," said the hospital's southern Colorado region president. Officials also cited the hospital's recognition as a top-10 children's hospital by U.S. News & World Report for 2025–2026.
The funding was called "one of the most significant milestones" for the seven-year-old hospital, one that "launches an exciting new chapter for pediatric health care in southern Colorado," said the president and CEO of Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation. Locally, Golisano wants to see improved access and services for military families and the growth of access and services regionwide, to treat sick kids from far and near closer to home.
Final expansion plans, including the precise scope of new construction and bed additions, have not yet been announced and are expected to be detailed as the planning process advances.