The first of its kind at a U.S. children’s hospital, the institute will allow CHLA to train pediatric health professionals and provide unparalleled educational, training, and career opportunities in perpetuity.

The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation has made one of the largest gifts in the history of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to establish the Chuck Lorre Pediatric Health Education Institute. A first of its kind in the nation, it will serve as a model for training health professionals including doctors, nurses, clinical care providers, researchers, and students.

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Producer Chuck Lorre with LA-HIP summer 2023 interns at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. (Photo: Business Wire)

“This transformational gift—among the three largest ever to the hospital—will allow Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to invest deeply in education for physicians, residents, fellows, nurses, and other health care professionals for generations to come,” says Paul S. Viviano, President and Chief Executive Officer at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “It will have a profound impact on the future of health care locally and nationally. We are grateful to The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation for its vision, commitment, and extreme generosity in making this milestone gift.”

“Investing in people creates profound change. Fostering career growth for health care professionals at every level by creating pathways for advancement and new opportunities to build a diverse workforce is deeply meaningful to me,” says Lorre, the veteran TV producer and writer who has long supported STEM education for young people from under-resourced communities and those pursuing careers in science and medicine. “It is thrilling to expand our partnership with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to create this new education institute, which will help shape the future of medicine and health care.”

The landmark Chuck Lorre Pediatric Health Education Institute will encompass six pillars of professional training: physicians, nurses, clinical service and allied health professionals, researchers, simulation training programs, and community workforce development initiatives. It will also provide resources for training, career development, mentorship, and professional growth.

Building upon CHLA’s leadership in pediatric health education, the groundbreaking institute will inspire early interest in a broad variety of pediatric health careers and create opportunities for CHLA’s more than 8,000 team members, as well as the next generation of team members and students from local and national communities, allowing them to pursue their goals and advance throughout their careers. Ultimately, it will provide a pioneering new blueprint for workforce retention and education for children’s hospitals across the country to emulate.

CHLA currently trains more than 600 students per year in a variety of health care disciplines. With The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation’s transformational support, the institution expects to train more than 12,000 health care professionals over the next two decades, a crucial investment in a field that has suffered staff shortages for the past several years.

“This newly created institute is the culmination of the foundation’s focus on supporting STEM education as well as a more diverse STEM workforce,” says Trisha Cardoso, President and Chief Giving Officer of The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation, who is also a member of the CHLA Foundation Board of Trustees. “We’re honored to join with CHLA to establish the Chuck Lorre Pediatric Health Education Institute and extend our lasting partnership with the hospital.”

Lorre is revered for writing, creating, and producing some of television’s most beloved programs including “Young Sheldon,” “Two and a Half Men,” “Mom,” and “The Kominsky Method.” It was one of his biggest hits, “The Big Bang Theory,” whose cultural impact would prove most surprising, when he read news reports that there was an uptick in young people pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math education because of his hit show. That knowledge ignited his passion to support a variety of training programs for young people to pursue careers in STEM.

This new gift to establish the Chuck Lorre Pediatric Health Education Institute was first announced at the CHLA Gala on Oct. 5, 2024, where Lorre was honored with the hospital’s Courage to Care Award for his generous support of CHLA and education over the years.

The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation has been supporting Children’s Hospital Los Angeles since 2016. Last year, the foundation helped CHLA launch the Chuck Lorre Research Scholars Program for college students, including alumni from the Samuels Family Latino and African American High School Internship Program (LA-HIP) at CHLA.

“Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is a renowned leader in all aspects of pediatric and adolescent health,” says Alexandra Carter, Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer at CHLA. “I am deeply grateful to Mr. Lorre and to Trisha Cardoso for their tremendous support. The magnitude of the foundation’s philanthropy ensures that we will have the proper resources to continue educating, training, and developing world-class health care professionals.”

About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Founded in 1901, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is at the forefront of pediatric medicine and is the largest provider of hospital care for children in California. Children’s Hospital is home to renowned experts who work together across disciplines to deliver inclusive and compassionate care, and drive advances that set pediatric standards across the nation and around the globe. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles provides a level of care to its diverse population of children that is among the best in the world. The hospital is consistently ranked in the top 10 in the nation on U.S. News & World Report’s Honor Roll of Best Children’s Hospitals. CHLA is the top-ranked children’s hospital in California and the Pacific U.S. region for 2024-25. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles embraces its mission to create hope and build healthier futures. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is among the top 10 children’s hospitals for National Institutes of Health funding. The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles supports the full continuum of research, allowing physicians and scientists to translate discoveries into treatments and bring answers to families faster. The pediatric academic medical center also is home to one of the largest training programs for pediatricians in the United States. And the hospital’s commitment to building strong communities is evident in CHLA’s efforts to fight food insecurity, enhance health education and literacy, and introduce more people to careers in health care. To learn more, follow CHLA on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and X, formerly known as Twitter, and visit CHLA.org/blog.

About The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation

The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation (TCLFF) is dedicated to funding innovative and compassionate organizations in the areas of education, health, and the arts. Reflecting the values and unique experiences of the Lorre family, the foundation supports programs, services, and opportunities for those struggling with less and striving for more. TCLFF supports philanthropic partnerships and programs with organizations and institutions that inspire hope, leadership, creativity, and productivity, focused in the Los Angeles area.

Media Contact: [Lorenzo Benet] E-mail: lbenet@chla.usc.edu