Celebrating the legacy of Fred Saigh, The Saigh Foundation has remained dedicated to the core missions of children’s education and health. This spring, we reflect on some of the commitments the Foundation has made to children’s health over the years.
At St. Louis Children’s Hospital, the Foundation established the Fred Saigh Endowed Fund for Preventative Health Care in 2003. This fund supports the Healthy Kids Express mobile unit, assisting children with asthma screening and treatment, vaccinations, dental exams, and hearing and vision screenings. In 2011, Dr. Mary Dinauer became the inaugural Fred M. Saigh Distinguished Chair of Pediatric Research at Children’s Discovery Institute. The Saigh Foundation applauds Dr. Dinauer for her award-winning research and wishes her well as she begins a well-deserved retirement in 2024. Dr. Allison King will be installed as the next Fred M. Saigh Distinguished Chair of Pediatric Research later this fall. The Foundation has proudly supported other critical programming at SLCH throughout the years, such as the Pediatric Simulation Center, the Children’s Center for Lung and Respiratory Disorders, the Sickle Cell Disease Medical Treatment & Education Center, and most recently, the Diabetes Mobile Unit.
The Saigh Foundation established the first endowment gift at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital for the Care Beyond the Bedside program. The program provides one-on-one opportunities for activities and play with patients, which are critical to their social-emotional and educational development.
Since 2011, the Foundation has provided lead gifts in establishing the SSM Cardinal Glennon St. Louis Fetal Care Institute, supporting their professional development and research. In 2017, the Child Life Endowment was created at Mercy Children’s Hospital, supporting a Child Life Specialist position.