Take a moment to consider what Warren Buffet, Melinda French Gates, Taylor Swift and Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation (PCHF) have in common.
It is an unlikely mix: the world’s most famous, soon-to-be-retired investor, one the world’s most generous philanthropists, a top female singer and the only WA charity solely dedicated to supporting Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) and wider Health Service.
In addition to their day jobs, the most famous three share the common thread of helping advance children’s health through various philanthropic avenues.
Which brings us to PCHF. As the specialist children’s charity at Perth Children’s Hospital, PCHF’s total grant funding has surpassed $115 million over 27 years. Last financial year, PCHF funded 28 new grants worth $32 million, supporting vital projects advancing children’s healthcare across the state.
These include world-leading rehabilitation robotics technology to revolutionise the care of children having to learn or relearn basic functions many of us take for granted such as walking, sitting or getting dressed every day; world-leading clinical research helping identify a silent cardiac condition in children and building WA’s first children’s hospice.
Funding support is provided over and above that of government and, as population pressures increase in coming years, steps are underway to ensure PCHF funding is sustainable and adaptable to meet the increasing demand on WA’s health system.
By 2036, the WA Government estimates 2.94 million people will be living in the greater Perth area and 663,000 in regional areas across WA.
Given our population has just edged over three million, that will mean a lot more children in Perth and across the state requiring healthcare services.
By staying ahead of the curve, PCHF will be there ready to act when the need arises. Being based on site at the children’s hospital has fostered close connections with clinicians, researchers and the families of those children who walk through the PCH doors, some facing unimaginable health journeys.
PCHF CEO, Carrick Robinson, says engaging with and understanding the specific needs of those connections is enabling the Foundation to become more strategic and targeted in unlocking opportunities to make a greater impact on children’s health.
“As the population grows, as diseases become more complicated and more wide-ranging, as interventions are tested and become part of everyday treatment, I see us as being very much at the leading-edge of those developments and being part of that change,” said Mr Robinson, who is working closely with the Health Service and PCH CE Valerie Buić, pictured above, to understand emerging healthcare needs.
In 2025, global attention has been on the rapid acceleration and implications of Artificial Intelligence. Next generation healthcare technology driven by AI is coming to a healthcare provider near you, and in the years ahead, it will likely be a key focus for PCHF, as technology speeds up diagnostics and the treatment process.
Mental health is one of the most pressing challenges of our modern lives with more children and young people affected. PCHF expects to play an increasing role addressing this growth in demand by funding more mental health research and other support requirements.
Aboriginal health will also be given more emphasis in the years ahead as efforts grow to close the health gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians.
Other top priorities include improving outcomes in children with rare diseases and childhood cancer. PCHF is part of a consortium of major philanthropic funders supporting two world-leading initiatives: the Rare Care Comprehensive Centre and the WA Comprehensive Kids Cancer Centre.
Both centres are poised to deliver significant improvements in the treatment and care of children with complex and hard-to-treat medical conditions.
For the families of more than 110 WA children diagnosed with cancer every year, the WA Comprehensive Kids Cancer Centre is set to transform outcomes with kinder, gentler treatments, access to more clinical trials in WA, improved survival rates and quality of life.
The Rare Care Comprehensive Centre is the first of its kind in the world and builds on the success of the existing PCH Rare Care Centre, delivering support across the full journey – from diagnosis through to treatment, care, support and wellbeing.
At the heart of everything is one focus: optimising paediatric healthcare outcomes for WA’s sickest kids. As the medical world advances, PCHF is positioned to remain at the forefront of progress, acting as a gateway to meaningful and lasting impact and brighter futures for the children of WA.
“Because of our unique relationships, we’re able to reach out to people and be part of conversations around the future developments in, for example, research or treatment plans or positive patient experiences,” Mr Robinson said.
“It gives us a unique perspective on the dimensions of changes and influences we can make that we believe no other charity has, and, through this strategic approach, we’re finding the right opportunities, leading to better outcomes for WA’s sick kids.”
