Children's Hospital of San Antonio Foundation

The story of The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio began in 1869, when the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word arrived in the area to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. In those days, San Antonio was still very much a part of the “wild west” — a frontier town plagued by a cholera epidemic and the remnants of the Civil War.From the beginning, the Sisters made children a top priority. However, it wasn’t until 90 years after their arrival that their focus became exclusively pediatric; in 1959, the Sisters joined with local leaders to build the area’s first and only hospital for children.

Today, the name, physical buildings, and management have evolved. The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio now resides in the CHRISTUS family, even as the Sisters continue to play an important role. We’ve grown to become an internationally recognized academic and research hospital. But the commitment to the area’s children has never wavered, and we are honored to carry on the Sisters’ legacy as a family-centered, faith-based non-profit.

History of the Foundation

The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio Foundation was chartered in 1955 to carry out a vision: That every child in South Central Texas would receive the best available medical care, even if their parents could not pay. That noble calling remains the Foundation’s driving motivation.

To date, we have raised tens of millions of dollars to cover treatment, research, programs and capital campaigns for building funds.

These accomplishments stand as a testament to the power of your support, and to the goodwill and compassion of our community at large.