Presti family ​gift ​helps ​​transform The Children’s Hospital at OU Medicine

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sam Presti, executive vice president and general manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and his wife, Shannon, have announced their gift of $600,000 to The Children’s Hospital at OU Medicine.

The Presti’s gift will have a major impact on The Children’s Hospital. Thanks to the family’s gift, two procedure rooms will receive renovations and technology upgrades in the Jimmy Everest Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders in Children and the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at The Children’s Hospital. The Presti’s generosity will also create a nurturing and interactive space in the east lobby of The Children’s Hospital, transforming both indoor and outdoor areas for patients and families that will foster creativity and healing for patients during their stay.

“Sam has been an engaged supporter of our mission and efforts and approached us last fall to determine how he and Shannon could most effectively make a positive difference for our patients and their families,” said Jon Hayes, president of The Children’s Hospital. “It became clear that Sam had a resolute sense of gratitude to the community and wanted to reciprocate in a way that would benefit all Oklahomans irrespective of location, socioeconomic status or any other barrier. The Prestis see a strong children’s hospital that endures well into the future as an essential aspect for all citizens of the state. We are so grateful for their generosity. At The Children’s Hospital, our highest priority is to provide quality patient and family-centered care and to improve the lives of children throughout the region. The Presti family’s gift helps us make every patient and family’s hospital stay as comfortable as possible, thereby improving their recovery and healing process.”

The Children’s Hospital is part of OU Medicine, a 501(c)(3) providing state of the art medical services to the children of Oklahoma and the region. OU Children’s Physicians representing nearly every pediatric specialty, see patients at the hospital, as well as in clinics in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area and throughout the state.

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OU MEDICINE

OU Medicine — along with its academic partner, the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center — is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system of hospitals, clinics and centers of excellence. With 11,000 employees and more than 1,300 physicians and advanced practice providers, OU Medicine is home to Oklahoma’s largest physician network with a complete range of specialty care. OU Medicine serves Oklahoma and the region with the state’s only freestanding children’s hospital, the only National Cancer Institute-Designated Stephenson Cancer Center and Oklahoma’s flagship hospital, which serves as the state’s only Level 1 trauma center. OU Medicine’s mission is to lead healthcare in patient care, education and research. To learn more, visit oumedicine.com.

THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

At The Children’s Hospital, pediatric staff blends years of training with education, research and technology to improve the lives of children throughout the region. The obstetric emergency room at The Children’s Hospital is a regional referral center for the state, and the neonatal intensive care unit provides the highest level of newborn care in Oklahoma. Children’s is also home to the only 24/7 pediatric emergency room in Oklahoma City. With a family-centered approach to healing, Children’s offers resources from pet therapy to child life specialists who help families cope with hospitalization and illness. From advanced surgical services to general pediatrics, oncology care and more, The Children’s Hospital provides cutting-edge research and treatments through hospital-based and outpatient services. To learn more, visit oumedicine.com/childrens.