Partnership Matters

A Community of Innovation

For one group of dedicated young professionals, contributing to Cincinnati Children’s isn’t enough—they want to be knowledgeable about the important work of our doctors and researchers so they can help in the most meaningful way.

So when members of our Innovators Circle learned about the growing need for mental health services for children and teens in our community, they wanted to help us enhance the care we can provide. And coming together they were able to make a big impact.

The group combines each member’s annual donation into one fund. Then they meet to learn about innovative projects in need of funding and vote on which they’d like to support. 

“My family has always been close to Cincinnati Children’s,” says Andy Cassady. “When I learned about the Innovators Circle, I thought it was a really unique opportunity to get involved. We get to hear directly from doctors and researchers how our donations will impact these programs.”

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the group was unable to meet in 2020, so that meant in 2021 they had double the funds to donate. After learning about several programs in need, they decided to support our College Hill Campaign and the construction of a new state-of-the-art building dedicated solely to mental healthcare.

Their gift will help us improve the way we care for children in mental health crisis. The new facility will serve as the hub of our psychiatric services. It will offer private rooms for all patients and dedicated areas for group, speech, occupational and recreational therapy. It will also feature private spaces for family members and staff to find respite, so they can decompress and recharge when feeling overwhelmed.

“It was difficult to pick just one project because they were all worthy,” Andy says. “But we saw the need for mental healthcare in our community, and our world, especially right now. When we all give a little bit, we can make great things happen, and that’s definitely true for supporting College Hill. The doctors gave great presentations and helped us truly understand how this expansion will help improve the care they can provide.”