AMD Donates $1.2 Million To Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital – Gift to support Northern California’s first pediatric imaging center

PALO ALTO – A gift of $1.2 million from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford has made possible the first medical imaging center in Northern California devoted exclusively to children.

Imaging technology – such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) – provides some of the safest and most effective clinical tools now available for diagnosing and treating a wide range of conditions, including cancers, heart problems and head injuries. Currently, Packard patients requiring a CT scan or MRI must be transported to the adult facility at Stanford Hospital – a cumbersome process, especially for children under the age of 10, who may require sedation for the procedure.

The AMD gift, one of the largest corporate donations ever made to the 10-year-old Packard Children’s Hospital, will complete the Pediatric MRI/CT Suite, which is in its final construction phase and is expected to open by the end of the year. The gift is to be announced at a dedication ceremony today at the hospital.

“This facility will have a very significant impact on the children of our region,” said Harvey Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., chief of staff at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and chair of the department of pediatrics at the Stanford School of Medicine.

“The cutting-edge technology that will be available in Packard Hospital’s own MRI/CT suite will enable us to diagnose and treat children with complex conditions in an environment dedicated to the care of children. We are grateful to AMD for helping make this center a reality, especially in these challenging economic times.”

Jerry Sanders, chairman and CEO of Sunnyvale-based AMD, said that “the imaging center is a critical component of children’s health services in the Silicon Valley, and is at the forefront of research efforts in pediatric medicine that will serve children’s hospitals all over the world. AMD feels a sense of responsibility, in good times and bad, to ensure that the youngest and most vulnerable citizens of our community continue to receive the state-of-the-art health care they need.”

In a study published this fall in the journal Health Affairs, leading internists ranked MRI and CT imaging as the most important medical innovation of the past 25 years. Among other benefits, MRI and CT provide non-invasive alternatives to exploratory surgery, facilitate minimally invasive therapeutic procedures, and detail brain function and the physiology of other organs.

Imaging procedures have such a wide array of applications that demand at Packard Hospital has doubled in the last five years. The 5,400-square-foot Pediatric MRI/CT Suite will address this growing need in a child-oriented setting. Support services, such as recreational therapy and counseling, will help alleviate stress and anxiety for children undergoing imaging procedures. Child-friendly equipment and design will contribute to an easier and more efficient experience for patients and their families.

The imaging suite was made possible by the lead corporate gift from AMD, with additional funding from other individual donors.

The funds were raised by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. The foundation is the fundraiser for the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and for the pediatric programs of the Stanford University School of Medicine.