In 1982, a tree was planted on the southwest side of the University of Kansas Medical Center campus to commemorate the launch of the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation.

While the tree is gone, the foundation and its relationship with KU Medical Center have thrived for the past 26 years.

The foundation was started by Jared Grantham, MD, now a professor of nephrology and the associate dean for medical graduate studies at the Medical Center. Grantham believed polycystic kidney disease (PKD) was in desperate need of more research dollars, so he helped establish the foundation. While it started out small, it’s now a multi-million dollar foundation dedicated to helping researchers around the world find a cure for PKD.

The Medical Center, competing with medical institutions all over the world, has been awarded an average of $100,000 per year from the PKD Foundation. Scientists at KU Medical Center also volunteer their expertise in reviewing grant applications and hosting informational conferences on campus.

Over the years, KU Medical Center has cultivated relationships with scores of nonprofit organizations that are in the business of finding cures for diseases and helping patients and families cope with the effects of those diseases.

Like the PKD Foundation, many of these organizations have provided major financial resources to the Medical Center that are paying extraordinary dividends for researchers and patients.

Perhaps the largest financial contribution by a service organization has come from the Kansas Masonic Foundation. The group has dedicated more than $20 million to fund research, provide professorships, and recruit top talent for the University of Kansas Cancer Center.

Jeff Sowder, president of the Kansas Masonic Foundation, said the Masons have been fundraising for KU for over 30 years and value their relationship with the University and the Medical Center.

“Our commitment to KU will not quit,” Sowder said. “We are in a partnership for life, because we must find a cure for cancer.”

The Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds for and awareness of children’s hospitals. In 2007, the CMN gave the Pediatrics Department at KU Medical Center $325,000, and the organization hopes to give the Medical Center another $400,000 in 2008. The department can use the money as they see fit – whether it is acquiring new technology and equipment or purchasing toys for children to play with while they are in the hospital.

“Through the generous support of CMN, we were able to purchase a new echocardiography machine for our pediatric cardiology unit last year, and we are providing support for many of our pediatric cancer patients lacking insurance coverage,” said Chet Johnson, MD, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Medical Center.

Another rewarding partnership is that between KU Medical Center and the National Parkinson Foundation. The foundation awarded the Medical Center a three-year grant in 2004, which allowed it to expand care to Parkinson’s patients in rural Kansas through the use of an existing telemedicine program. In addition, the foundation has provided at least $50,000 per year for over 10 years to the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder Center at KU Medical Center to increase patient services and outreach.

“This is a very competitive grant and we have successfully renewed it for the past 12 years,” said Rajesh Pahwa, MD, professor and director of the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Center. “Because of the foundation’s generosity in grant funding, we are better able to serve Kansans with Parkinson’s disease.”

Other organizations that have made contributions to the work being done at KU Medical Center include the Keith Worthington Chapter of the ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) Association and the American Heart Association.

KU Medical Center also works to give back to the foundations and organizations that help support its work. For example, Richard Barohn, MD, chair and professor of the Neuromuscular Clinic, and April McVey, MD, associate professor at the Neuromuscular Clinic, have provided their expertise at board meetings for the ALS Association, and Barbara Atkinson, MD, executive vice chancellor, KU Medical Center and executive dean, School of Medicine, served as corporate recruitment chair for the 2008 ALS Walk.

There is little doubt that the support of these local and national organizations has helped KU Medical Center pave the way for pioneering results in research and provided better care and comfort for patients.

“So much of the work we do would not be possible without the assistance of our nonprofit partners,” said Dr. Grantham. “In challenging economic times, they have provided us with the means to enhance our research efforts and provide better patient care.” +