Robin and Marc Wolpow Announce the Launch of Wolpow Family Initiative with Boston Children’s Hospital to Improve Diversity in Science

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Robin and Marc Wolpow (the “Wolpow Family”) today announced a $2.5 million gift to launch the Wolpow Family Initiative for Diversity in partnership with Boston Children’s Hospital (“BCH”). Together the Wolpow family and BCH will deliver programs to recruit and retain the world’s top talent in medicine while ensuring caregivers reflect a strong variety of backgrounds, opinions, viewpoints and ideas.

“Improving diversity in science is crucial for myriad reasons, and we’re thrilled and humbled to partner with Boston Children’s on this initiative and work towards advancing our shared goal of making health equity a reality for all children,” said Mr. Wolpow, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Audax Group. “As one of the top pediatric institutions in the nation, BCH has an opportunity to serve as a model for other children’s hospitals by taking meaningful action to promote and foster an inclusive and culturally diverse workplace. It’s an honor to be part of these efforts to diversify and inspire the next generation of pediatric leaders, and we look forward to driving these important changes throughout BCH and beyond.”

The pledge will establish the Wolpow Family Initiative for Diversity and launch a two-pronged approach to diversify our caregivers while recruiting the best minds in science and health care. One part of this commitment will support the development of the Sandra L. Fenwick Institute for Pediatric Health Equity and Inclusion (“the Fenwick Institute”), allowing the hospital to recruit an exceptional physician-scientist to join its team. As a whole, the Fenwick Institute will aim to:

• Champion equitable health care access, delivery and outcomes for all kids
• Diversify and develop BCH’s workforce to be representative/inclusive of patient families
• Lead national efforts to eliminate pediatric health disparities through public policy that creates systemic change

Another part of the pledge will enable Scott Snapper, MD, PhD, to recruit an outstanding leader from an underrepresented group in medicine to BCH’s Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. The Wolpow Family Initiative will enable BCH to provide a competitive recruitment package to a talented physician-scientist who reflects the breadth of its patient population.

“The Wolpow Family’s donation is well aligned with the Fenwick Institute’s goal to recruit and retain outstanding, diverse physician-scientists. The work of the Fenwick Institute will include efforts of diversity and inclusion that ensure our patients and their families encounter more physician-scientists who are from a variety of backgrounds,” stated Dr. Valerie Ward, Senior Vice President and Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer at Boston Children’s Hospital. “By ensuring that diverse caregivers and diverse researchers are well supported and well resourced, these physician-scientists can lead in discovery and innovations as they bring their inclusive excellence to their work and ultimately improve child health outcomes for all children.”

The Wolpow Family and Boston Children’s Hospital share the belief that innovation is stifled when an enterprise fails to include diverse perspectives and experiences. In order to build the diversity that innovative excellence demands—the generous pledge from Robin and Marc Wolpow will make the goal of equity for all children not merely aspirational, but a reality. The establishment of the Wolpow Family Initiative for Diversity will enable BCH to recruit top-tier candidates and accelerate efforts to diversify the next generation of pediatric leaders, as many of the talented recruits go on to play lead roles as division chiefs worldwide.

About Robin and Marc Wolpow
Robin and Marc, who currently reside in Hanover, NH, raised their family in Wellesley, MA, and support several health care, educational and arts organizations and initiatives. Marc Wolpow is Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Audax Group. In addition to his leadership role at Audax, Marc serves on the Board of Trustees of the Boston Children’s Hospital, where he is also Co-Chair of the Finance Committee and a member of the Governance and Nominating Committee. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health.

About Boston Children’s Hospital
Boston Children's Hospital is ranked the #1 children's hospital in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and is the primary pediatric teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Home to the world's largest research enterprise based at a pediatric medical center, its discoveries have benefited both children and adults since 1869. Today, 3,000 researchers and scientific staff, including 9 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 23 members of the National Academy of Medicine and 12 Howard Hughes Medical Investigators comprise Boston Children's research community. Founded as a 20-bed hospital for children, Boston Children's is a 415-bed comprehensive center for pediatric and adolescent health care. For more, visit our Answers blog and follow us on social media @BostonChildrens, @BCH_Innovation, Facebook and YouTube.