February 20 , 2016
Dear Friends :
Tonight , the grand tradition of commitment to the children of San Diego continues with the 107 th Anniversary Charity Ball , Heart of Gold .
You have filled our hearts with your generous support of Rady Children ’ s Hospital-San Diego . Your continued dedication enables us to save lives and to offer the most advanced clinical treatments and ground-breaking research .
This evening is especially important because it supports the expansion of a crucial area within the Hospital , the Crisis Stabilization Unit ( CSU ). The CSU is a short-term assessment and treatment program that assists patients during a mental health emergency . The CSU team works to stabilize the emotional , mental , and behavioral crises of children and adolescents who are brought to the Rady Children ’ s Emergency Department seeking treatment .
The unit is open around the clock and is staffed by a registered nurse , licensed psychiatric technician , a licensed social worker , and an on-call psychiatric attending physician . The goal is to teach coping skills to patients and families to diminish the symptoms originally contributing to their hospitalization .
Rady Children ’ s was recently granted a one year license to pilot the CSU in response to the growing need for pediatric mental health care in the community . We want to make sure that patients and their families can have confidence in their medical care and hope for the future .
Through your attendance tonight , you are changing the way we care for patients and their families . You enable us to continue to lead the way in comprehensive pediatric mental and behavioral health treatment for our courageous young patients .
On behalf of these patients and families , we offer our deepest thanks . Sincerely ,
Donald B . Kearns , MD , MMM President and CEO Rady Children ’ s Hospital-San Diego
Theodore D . Roth Chairman , Board of Trustees Rady Children ’ s Hospital-San Diego