Mapping the Need: Children's Hospital Association Data Helps Ronald McDonald House Support More Families
When Augie Rutledge was born with dangerous health complications, he was quickly transferred to Children’s Mercy Kansas City two hours from his home.
Without resources to pay for lodging, his mom Chrissy and dad Alex didn’t know how they could stay near their newborn son, who would spend two weeks at the hospital. Despite recovering from a C-section, Chrissy had resolved to live in Augie’s hospital room, sleeping in a chair.
But then relief came. They were given a free place to stay within a few minutes of the hospital — a house with a living room, a laundry room, and their own bedroom.
“Thanks to the Ronald McDonald House, I didn’t have to leave Augie’s side,” Chrissy said. “There’s no way I could have done it without them."
Many families with kids with complex or critical medical needs like the Rutledges spend weeks or months far from home while their children receive specialized medical care only available at children’s hospitals. For more than 50 years, Ronald McDonald House has provided these families with essential resources, a community of support, and accommodations near hospitals.
By 2030, Ronald McDonald House aims to double the number of families served. The organization projects that demand for Ronald McDonald House and Family Room programs will reach 2 million families per year by 2034.
To meet the growing needs of families, Ronald McDonald House needs specific data — like how many families at children’s hospitals have long stays, travel long distances, or are economically challenged.
That kind of information isn’t readily available in a national database or in easily accessible formats from hospitals.
That’s why the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) and Ronald McDonald House partnered to create a customized data dashboard to identify opportunities to support children’s hospital patients and their families, which will be leveraged in the Ronald McDonald House Global demand planning tools.
“Research from the University of Maryland, Baltimore shows Ronald McDonald House provides nearly 90% of all pediatric-only temporary housing for families in the United States,” said Katie Fitzgerald, president and chief executive officer, Ronald McDonald House Global. “However, we estimate that Ronald McDonald House is only meeting 55% of current demand for our services in the U.S. Having access to this data through CHA will allow us to make even better data-driven decisions around how we strategically close the demand gap for our services.”
CHA captures thousands of data points for children’s hospitals across the country through its unique pediatric databases. These hospitals disproportionately serve children with complex conditions and long hospitalizations whose families will most need Ronald McDonald House’s support.
With CHA’s insights, select Ronald McDonald House Chapters in the U.S. will be better positioned to engage in strategic discussions with hospital partners, tailor program services, and anticipate demand for its programs.
The partnership also makes collaboration between Ronald McDonald House and more than 70 of CHA’s member hospitals easier and more effective, allowing their patients to receive the support they need.
The ultimate beneficiaries are families, who gain stronger support during some of their most difficult days.
“Our association and Ronald McDonald House share a belief that families are central to children’s health,” said Matthew Cook, CEO of CHA. “This partnership between two national leaders in children’s health will drive meaningful, long-term change by improving access to care, supporting a positive hospital experience, and empowering better health outcomes.”
This collaboration represents the first step in a long-term effort to elevate family-centered care. As CHA and Ronald McDonald House look to explore more ways to partner, we’ll continue aligning children’s health, advocacy, and on-the-ground experience to shape the systems families rely on.
Because when families are supported, children’s hospitals can do what they do best: deliver world-class care and brighter futures for every child.
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