Brandon B. and Paige Rafi have pledged a $500,000 gift to Valleywise Health Foundation to support the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at the new Valleywise Health Medical Center, scheduled to open in April 2024.

As the public teaching hospital and safety net system of care for Maricopa County, more than 70 percent of Valleywise Health patients are financially vulnerable, many with nowhere else to turn in a crisis. Valleywise Health cares for more than 1,000 pediatric patients receiving acute and intensive care each year, with some facing the most complex and challenging injuries and diagnoses.

The Brandon B. Rafi and Paige Rafi Pediatric Intensive Care Unit will revolutionize the exceptional care provided by Valleywise Health pediatricians, nurses and other health care professionals with state-of-the-art facilities and technology specially designed for pediatric patients.

“Paige and I are honored to make this multi-year pledge to Valleywise Health for the pediatric intensive care unit,” said Rafi, founder of the Rafi Law Group. “This new facility and its caring and committed medical professionals mean children and families across the Valley will have access to quality healthcare, regardless of their financial means.”

Rafi continued stating, “Healing our children is an act of hope and we are proud to invest in the health and well-being of our community’s kids.”

Designed with the child and family in mind, all patients in The Brandon B. Rafi and Paige Rafi Pediatric Intensive Care Unit will have their own rooms and bathrooms with natural light and ample space for parents to stay with their children.

“Not only will this beautiful new space transform the patient experience with private rooms and their family nearby, but it will also allow our medical team to prioritize both physical and emotional healing from illness and trauma with new technology and private, quieter spaces,” said Jodi Carter, M.D., Department Chair, Pediatrics at Valleywise Health.

The unit will also include two playrooms, one for young children and another for adolescents and teens, all staffed by the specially trained Child Life team.

“As parents, we know how it feels when your child is sick and in need of medical assistance,” said Paige Rafi. “We have been blessed with excellent doctors and are grateful that other families will, too, thanks to the new pediatric unit at Valleywise Health.”

“We are immensely grateful to Brandon and Paige for their generous commitment to the children in our community who are facing some of the most challenging and heartbreaking situations,” said Valleywise Health Foundation Chief Advancement Officer Kate Fassett. “The overwhelming philanthropic support shown to the health system by the many generous community members, like Brandon and Paige, has been crucial to the continued sustainability of the mission of Valleywise Health. We are honored and grateful for their support.”

“Throughout many years of working with Brandon and his team, his connection to the community has always been clear,” said Valleywise Health Foundation Board Member Dave Pugh. “His commitment to family and community aligns perfectly with the mission of Valleywise Health.”

This generous gift was made as part of Valleywise Health Foundation’s $50 million ALL IN Campaign, culminating at the end of 2023, exceeding our goal in raising over $54 million. with the opening of the new 10-story Valleywise Health Medical Center, currently under construction and scheduled to open in April 2024. The new acute care hospital at 2601 E. Roosevelt Road in Phoenix will replace the current teaching hospital opened in 1971.