Las Madrinas Makes $5 Million Gift Commitment to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

05 Abr 2017, 13:02 PM CDT

The endowment supports CHLA’s Chief of Neurology Chair and the
Neurological Institute Epilepsy Program

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Las Madrinas, a nonprofit dedicated to raising funds for Children’s
Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), has made a $5 million commitment to support
care for children diagnosed with neurological conditions. The gift
establishes the Las Madrinas Chief of Neurology Chair, to be held by
Douglas Nordli, Jr., MD, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Neurology at
CHLA, and supports the improvement and expansion of the Neurological
Institute’s renowned Epilepsy Program.

“The ongoing commitment to pediatric healthcare by Las Madrinas is
invaluable,” says Paul Viviano, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
president and CEO. “This generous gift will expand and advance the care
that the experts in our Neurological Institute provide for children with
epilepsy. Dr. Nordli’s leadership as co-director of the Institute, along
with that of fellow Co-director, Mark Krieger, MD, the Billy and Audrey
L. Wilder Endowed Chair in Neurosurgery, has been vital in establishing
CHLA to develop into one of the nation’s top pediatric epilepsy centers
in the country.”

“Early diagnosis and precise treatment of epilepsy are critical for a
child’s developing brain,” says Las Madrinas president Lisa Brandt. “For
a child with uncontrollable seizures, it is vital to have timely access
to a pediatric epileptologist to receive immediate care and ultimately
prevent devastating consequences.”

Las Madrinas, first known as ‘The Godmothers,’ was founded in 1933 to
support the outstanding health care and research at CHLA. For more than
80 years the group, comprised of residents from Los Angeles and its
surrounding communities, has supported pediatric medicine and holds the
distinction of being the first Affiliate Group of CHLA. Support from Las
Madrinas will fund a substantial expansion and upgrade of the Epilepsy
Monitoring Unit at CHLA, permitting the institution to double the size
of the EMU and upgrade equipment to include portable and wireless
monitoring systems to track a patient’s brain activity anywhere in the
institution, even during surgery and recovery.

CHLA is recognized by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers
(NAEC) as a Level 4 epilepsy center, providing the highest-level medical
and surgical evaluation and treatment for patients with complex epilepsy.

“With the advent of precision medicine and novel diagnostic tools, this
is a pivotal time in the field of child neurology,” says Dr. Nordli,
professor of Clinical Neurology at the Keck School of Medicine of the
University of Southern California (USC). Nordli also serves as vice
chair of Neurology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “This generous
donation provides CHLA the opportunity to make a real impact in the
lives of children with neurological challenges here in Los Angeles and
beyond.”

Prior to joining CHLA in 2016, Dr. Nordli served as the Lorna S. and
James P. Langdon Chair of Pediatric Epilepsy and division head of the
Epilepsy Center at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago,
as well as a professor of Clinical Neurology and Clinical Pediatrics at
the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is dedicated to creating hope and
building healthier futures for children. Founded in 1901, CHLA is one of
the nation’s leading pediatric academic medical centers and is
acknowledged worldwide for its leadership in pediatric and adolescent
health. The hospital relies on the generosity of the community to
support its groundbreaking pediatric research and the complex care it
provides for critically ill and injured children.

For more information, visit CHLA.org.
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