Propelled by a historic $100 million gift, Cedars-Sinai is advancing its “ambitious” vision for children’s healthcare to fill a gap in care for young patients in the Los Angeles region.

Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s will provide a continuum of primary and specialty care for hospitalized patients and outpatients as they grow from newborns to adolescents to adults. It will combine clinical care, pediatric research and physician education and training to support Cedars-Sinai and its network of healthcare partners across the region.

Guerin Children’s has been made possible by a gift from the Shapell Guerin Family Foundation and its president, Vera Guerin, a longtime Cedars-Sinai supporter who currently serves as board chair of Cedars-Sinai Health System. The $100 million contribution is the largest lifetime gift in Cedars-Sinai’s 119-year history.

“Our family is passionate about Cedars-Sinai and about providing a continuum of care for patients from childhood to adulthood,” Guerin said. “We are honored and humbled to play our part in supporting and building this incredible institution.”

In addition to current intensive care pediatric beds, an inpatient space with 26 beds is now under renovation on the Cedars-Sinai campus and is scheduled to open in spring 2022. The family-friendly setting will feature a game and movie room with interactive screens to play games and activities, an outdoor garden, children’s art by local artists, a family lounge for adults and furniture that converts into beds for parents who wish to stay with their children at night.

“We intend to establish Guerin Children’s as an international destination for children and their families and as a leader in pediatric care and research in the United States,” Cedars-Sinai president and CEO Thomas Priselac said. “The support and vision of Vera Guerin and the Shapell Guerin Family Foundation will have a lasting impact on the health of generations of children and families.”

Guerin Children’s will build on Cedars-Sinai’s care in pediatrics and labor and delivery. The medical center delivers more than 6,200 babies a year. The enterprise will offer patients a full complement of pediatric specialties, maternal-fetal medicine and pediatric surgery and transplants.

Guerin said she hopes that Guerin Children’s will have an enduring impact on children’s health in the Los Angeles community while serving patients elsewhere through its comprehensive array of services. Guerin and her family have been longtime supporters of Cedars-Sinai.