Wolfson Children’s Hospital is renowned for its compassionate and effective treatment for the most vulnerable among us when they are faced with serious medical issues.
But what if at least some hospitalizations could be anticipated before they become necessary? What if the root causes could be addressed so that such a need could be avoided?
Fortunately, Wolfson Children’s Hospital has an answer, and it’s an answer made possible by THE PLAYERS Championship.
THE PLAYERS Center for Child Health was made possible due to an initial financial gift made by the tournament in 2011. Five years later, THE PLAYERS created an endowment to ensure the center can continue its work in perpetuity.
“Their support for their hometown children’s hospital means the world,” said Megan Denk, executive director for the center.
And because public awareness is critical to its mission, THE PLAYERS Center for Child Health has been named one of the tournament’s Charities of the Day this year.
The center’s work is largely reliant on education and prevention, but also on helping people to gain access the health care. This often requires the participation of community organizations, school systems and libraries, though in some cases, people go directly to the center for help.
One area of focus is preventable injuries. Last year, the center distributed 615 bike helmets. And swimming safety becomes a concern in the summertime. In addition, 110 child care seats were distributed and 302 were inspected in 2025. One partner in this effort has been Subaru of Jacksonville, which hosts free child passenger safety checks each month.
Another aspect of the center’s mission is healthy eating, hygiene and safety. It offers programs designed to educate children to make healthy choices. These programs are made available in a variety of settings. In 2025, the center educated 971 children in 71 classrooms.
For children with asthma, the Community Asthma Partnership at Wolfson teaches children and caregivers to successfully manage the disease. Last year, 906 patients and their families received this important instruction. Patients considered high-risk received care coordination services from a registered respiratory therapist and asthma educator.
In August, the hospital and the center launched a new education and awareness initiative called Common Thread. The goal is to support the mental health of teens and children throughout the region. This brings together awareness, education and community resources to reduce stigma, provide coping strategies and tools and connection to providers and agencies.
This provides a means to address one of the biggest issues for today’s youth.
But preventative health often begins with conditions that may not always appear connected. Social, economic and environmental factors, as well as access to key resources can play a major role in helping children and youth stay healthy.
The Family Links program, made possible by the Jim & Tabitha Furyk Foundation, helps to reduce barriers and meet the challenge of contributing factors that can play out in children’s health.
In 2025 alone, 1,188 people were helped with enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), 712 individuals were approved for health insurance coverage, 55 food bags were provided to families experiencing food insecurity, 27 families received public transit passes, 20 families were provided with clothing needs and four were connected to housing resources.
More than a million people were reached with critical health insurance information.
The process to enroll in Florida KidCare or Medicaid can be intimidating. But, through Family Links, “we’re there to help guide them through the process of that application and then serve as an advocate for them as the application is being reviewed,” said Denk.
In addition to the critical support offered by THE PLAYERS, the center benefits by donations and volunteering. For further information, go to wolfsonchildrens.com.
