CHOC DIABETES PROGRAM RECEIVES $100,000 ENDOWMENT FROM THE ROBERT AND HELGA PRALLE FAMILY FOUNDATION
March 19, 2007

The Robert and Helga Pralle Family Foundation recently committed $100,000 to establish an endowed fund to support the diabetes program at Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). This is the largest donation the program has received to date.

CHOC has the only American Diabetes Association-certified pediatric diabetes program in Orange County, and treats approximately 94 percent of the pediatric diabetes patients in the county. CHOC is one of 15 institutions worldwide recently selected as a "major affiliate" of the Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet Network, which studies the development, prevention and early treatment of type 1 diabetes. This distinction places CHOC at the international forefront of diabetes research.

Kim Krotts, the Pralle's daughter and a member of the Foundation's board of directors, said, "We hope this gift will encourage others to create endowments at CHOC. It's a great way to give a gift that helps sustain vital programs, while helping the children at CHOC."

About CHOC Children's: Named one of the best children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report (2012-2013), CHOC Children's is exclusively committed to the health and well-being of children through clinical expertise, advocacy, outreach and research that brings advanced treatment to pediatric patients. Affiliated with the University of California, Irvine, CHOC’s regional healthcare network includes two state-of-the-art hospitals in Orange and Mission Viejo, several primary and specialty care clinics, a pediatric residency program, and four centers of excellence - The CHOC Children’s Heart, Neuroscience, Orthopaedic and Hyundai Cancer Institutes.

CHOC earned the Gold Level CAPE Award from the California Council of Excellence, the only children’s hospital in California to ever earn this distinction, and was awarded Magnet designation, the highest honor bestowed to hospitals for nursing excellence.  Recognized for extraordinary commitment to high-quality critical care standards, CHOC’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is the first in the United States to earn the Pediatric Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence.

###

Media Contact:
Denise Almazan, Director of Public Relations
phone: (714) 509-8680
email: pr@chocchildrens.org