Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine received a $50 million donation from billionaire Tom Golisano, 83, on October 28 to rename Penn State Health’s Children’s Hospital and improve its pediatric care facility.

The newly named Golisano Children’s Hospital at Penn State Health at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center will join 10 institutions as part of the Golisano Children’s Alliance, a network designed to share resources and broaden access to essential pediatric care.

“Tom Golisano’s extraordinary generosity will elevate our ability to care for families across the region,” Michael Kupferman, CEO of Penn State Health, said in a release. “This gift will help catalyze meaningful growth for our system and accelerate our drive toward the highest levels of care, service, and discovery – all leading to a healthier future for children across Pennsylvania and beyond.”

The money will be used to advance health equity in rural communities, expand behavioral health services for children and adolescents, and strengthen pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery programs. It will also help enhance pediatric neuroscience care and expand neonatal intensive care units throughout the health system.

The funding will also go toward training future pediatricians and specialists, supporting research into new treatments and cures, and improving outpatient programs to better serve children and families.

Golisano, founder of Paychex, Inc., pledged $253 million to six university-based hospitals across the country in late October.

The Golisano Children’s Hospital in Hershey offers the most comprehensive pediatric care facility in central Pennsylvania. It features the region’s only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit and Level I pediatric trauma center.

“We are incredibly grateful for Mr. Golisano’s support, which builds upon our founding vision and propels us forward in our commitment to improving health outcomes for the people of our commonwealth and beyond through education, research, and compassionate care,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi in a press release.

The donation builds on the institution’s existing philanthropic support, which includes Four Diamonds and the Children’s Miracle Network.

Golisano’s gift is the largest donation since the $50 million grant by the M.S. Hershey Foundation in 1963, which founded Hershey Medical Center.