Dell Children’s Establishes First-Ever Endowed Distinguished Chair

Dell Children’s Medical Center, through the generosity of a $7 million transformational gift from the John L. Hern Foundation, has established the John L. Hern Foundation Distinguished Chair in Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery and Endowed Chair in Pediatric Organ Transplantation. Charles D. Fraser, Jr., M.D., an internationally recognized pediatric congenital heart surgeon, has been named to the inaugural Distinguished Chair. Dr. Fraser is Dell Children’s Chief of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery, Founder and Executive Director of the Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease in partnership with Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin. The Endowed Chair position will be used to recruit a new Surgical Chief of Pediatric Heart Transplantation at Dell Children’s.

The John L. Hern Foundation's $7 million gift honors the growth and excellence that has been achieved at Dell Children's pediatric heart program and is a direct investment to enhance world class surgical talent to care for children in Central Texas. This is the largest endowed gift in the hospital’s history and the second largest gift ever received at Dell Children’s from private philanthropy.

“Dell Children’s is committed to bringing the highest level of care to the children and their families we serve. A named and Endowed Chair, created in perpetuity, represents the highest honor a hospital and university can bestow upon its faculty. An Endowed Chair represents the pinnacle of academic achievement and excellence and is reserved for our most distinguished and productive colleagues. In short, an Endowed Chair is the highest honor a physician leader can be awarded,” said Z. Leah Harris, M.D., Interim President at Dell Children’s Medical Center, Physician in Chief, Dell Children's Medical Center, Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Dell Medical School, Director, Dell Pediatric Research Institute.

“Philanthropically Endowed Chairs serve as powerful tools for attracting and retaining the world class innovative minds we seek to care for Central Texas children. We congratulate Dr. Fraser and his entire team on this honor and remain grateful to the JLH Foundation for recognizing Dr. Fraser’s exemplary contributions to caring for children and families,” said Dr. Harris.

“We of the Dell Children’s community are honored and humbled by the most generous gift from the JLH Foundation. The JLH Foundation has been committed to the well-being of children through their support of programs for our most vulnerable patients and their families. Their support profoundly helps us in our mission to provide the very best possible care,” said Dr. Charles D. Fraser, Jr., Chief of the Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease at Dell Children’s.

The Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease at Dell Children’s is a novel design, uniquely specialized to care for patients from fetal diagnosis well into adulthood. The center houses world renowned clinical talent comprised of both pediatric and adult congenital heart specialists, recruited to Austin from all over the country. This program includes the integration of clinical academics and research-driven initiatives through the exclusive partnership with Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin and UT Health Austin.

Dr. Fraser earned his medical degree from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, completed a residency in surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and a fellowship in pediatric heart surgery at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. He has developed focused programs in integrated care for children and adolescents with congenital heart disease including cardiopulmonary transplantation.

About Ascension Texas
In Texas, Ascension operates Ascension Providence, Ascension Seton, which includes Dell Children’s Medical Center, the region’s only comprehensive children’s hospital and pediatric Level I trauma center, and Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas, the region’s only Level I trauma center for adults. Ascension Seton is affiliated with Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin and shares a common vision of transforming healthcare through a focus on quality and value. Serving Texas for 120 years, Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. Ascension is one of the leading non-profit and Catholic health systems in the U.S., operating 2,600 sites of care – including 139 hospitals and more than 40 senior living facilities – in 19 states and the District of Columbia. Visit ascension.org and dellchildrens.net.

About UT Health Austin
UT Health Austin is the clinical practice of Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin. UT Health Austin clinicians collaborate with colleagues at Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, and in the community to utilize the latest research, diagnostic, and treatment techniques in every clinical encounter. Our experienced healthcare professionals deliver personalized, whole-person care of uncompromising quality and treat each patient as an individual with unique circumstances, priorities, and beliefs. Working directly with patients and their families, we create individualized care plans designed to help our patients reach the goals that matter most to them — in the care room and beyond. Visit uthealthaustin.org.

Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease
A partnership at Dell Children's Medical Center, is the only pediatric program in Central Texas that offers comprehensive congenital heart care for newborns, infants, children and adolescents, thanks to the collaborative partnership with Dell Medical School at The University of Texas/UT Health Austin. Since the creation of the heart center, Dell Children’s has outperformed the national average for congenital heart surgery outcomes and completed over 1,500 pediatric heart surgeries and 19 pediatric heart transplants to date.