California’s 13 regional children’s hospitals provide specialized care to treat children and young adults up to age 21 who are suffering from serious and life-threatening diseases such as leukemia, sickle cell disease, cancer, and cystic fibrosis. The hospitals handle more than 2 million visits each year, including from some of the state’s lowest-income children, regardless of a family’s income or ability to pay. The Children’s Hospital Bond of 2018 provides $1.5 billion over 15 years to support this critical, life-saving care.
Children’s hospitals save lives.
- California’s children’s hospitals perform 97 percent of all pediatric organ transplants and 96 percent of all pediatric heart surgeries, and conduct 76 percent of all pediatric cancer treatments.
- Children’s hospitals are premier pediatric research centers making leading-edge biomedical discoveries that benefit all kids.
- These advances in medical research and technology are producing dramatic results. Today, 85 percent of children diagnosed with leukemia are cured.
The Children’s Hospital Bond of 2018 will mean higher-quality care for more kids.
- This bond will allow children’s hospitals to expand, upgrade and improve their facilities and reach, meaning more kids will have access to the specialized, life-saving care they need.
- The bond also helps children’s hospitals acquire the latest technology and life-saving medical equipment, giving doctors the tools to save more children’s lives.
This bond makes fiscal sense.
- Children’s hospitals have a track record of spending bond money wisely. Funds from previous bond measures have been invested to ensure seismic safety, add inpatient beds, and acquire new technology – but the growing demand for care means additional funds are needed to continue ensuring high-quality care for our state’s sickest kids.
- By helping to cover the cost of infrastructure upgrades, this bond allows children’s hospitals to focus their attention and resources on caring for sick children, regardless of their families’ income.
- California has an “investment grade” bond rating because our state is prudent about how much debt we take on.
Children’s hospitals deserve support.
