The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to Open the New Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pediatric & Adolescent Care Center in West Philadelphia

$7.5 Million Gift from The Karabots Foundation will help to fund the new site

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia today announced a generous $7.5 million gift that will lead to the creation of a new Pediatric & Adolescent Care Center in West Philadelphia. The primary health-care facility will be called the Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pediatric & Adolescent Care Center and is part of the CHOP Care Network.

This gift, made possible by Athena and Nicholas Karabots and the Karabots Foundation of Fort Washington, Pa., will give West Philadelphia families increased access to world-class pediatric healthcare. The contribution is inspired by the couple's ongoing, deep desire to make high quality medical resources more available to children in underserved communities.

"The Karabots Pediatric & Adolescent Care Center will provide much needed services to the children and families of West Philadelphia," said Madeline Bell, President of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "The continued growth of the CHOP Care Network has been in direct response to increasing demand for our services in the City of Philadelphia."

The Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pediatric & Adolescent Care Center will be centrally located in West Philadelphia on Market Street at 48^th Street with convenient access to public transportation. There is also ample parking on-site for patient families and employees.

Situated on a four-acre site, in an almost 50,000 square foot facility, the Center will provide the highest level of primary care services to the children of West Philadelphia and will feature child-friendly exam rooms, radiology, x-ray, hearing and vision testing and will be able to handle more than 45,000 patient visits per year. In addition, the center will provide families access to Children's Hospital's community programs including Early Head Start, Reach Out and Read, domestic violence education, medical home and care coordination and asthma education.

"My wife and I are delighted to be able to support the creation of this facility that will help so many in need. The West Philadelphia community will benefit enormously with the opening of this state-of-the-art center," said Nicholas Karabots. "I feel strongly that all children, especially those living under difficult circumstances, deserve the opportunity to live a healthy and productive life. To do this, they need to have access to good healthcare services."

The CHOP Pediatric & Adolescent Care Centers in South Philadelphia and Cobbs Creek will remain in their current locations. The Centers at 39^th and Chestnut St. and 3550 Market St. will relocate to the new center.

In July 2008, Children's Hospital announced plans to build the Karabots Pediatric Care Center in Norristown. Despite high public support, however, the plans were reluctantly withdrawn several months later. Concerns arose among some borough council members that this Center would not align with redevelopment plans for Norristown's Main Street corridor.  

A former shoe-shine boy from the South Bronx in New York City, Nicholas Karabots rose to prominence in the printing and publishing business. Today, he is Chairman of the Spartan Organization, Inc. and its family of Kappa related operations, which include companies involved in puzzle magazine and book product, children's activity books, maps and related printing facilities in several states. The Karabots family is well-known for their past philanthropy having supported a number of causes that focus on youth and the inner cities.

About The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country, ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 460-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Care Network has nearly 50 locations in southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey, offering top-ranked primary and specialty care services in convenient community-based locations. Visit www.chop.edu/network for more information about specific services at each location.

SOURCE The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia