By Erika E. Hayes
There's not much Dr. Edward Singleton enjoys more than the chance to talk about pediatric radiology. He continues to be an open book on how the profession has made a difference in the lives of so many at Texas Children's Hospital-including his own.
Some things never change.
But recently Dr. Singleton did decide to increase his philanthropic contribution to the radiology department and the chair named in his honor-the Edward B. Singleton, M.D., Chair in Pediatric Radiology-by contributing through an IRA charitable rollover. This gift comes a little more than a year after his first gift toward the chair.
Funds donated toward the chair-held by Dr. George Bisset III, chief of pediatric radiology at Texas Children's-advance the clinical, academic and research endeavors of faculty in the department.
"The decision to give was not a difficult one," Dr. Singleton says enthusiastically. "I gave because this hospital has given so much to me."
Dr. Singleton has been part of the institution's history since the very beginning. He was the first physician named to the staff of Texas Children's Hospital and St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, which operated as a joint institution when the doors opened in 1954.
He fondly remembers so much about his appointment...how honored he was to be the first physician, how young he was at age 33 and how special it felt when every employee in the hospital-all 10 of them-signed a birthday card for him.
"Things were certainly different then," says the chief emeritus of a department that is now one of the largest dedicated pediatric radiology centers in the country.
The distinguished alumnus of The University of Texas Medical Branch has seen a lot in his day-very little of which he won't share. After 60 years of practice at Texas Children's, Dr. Singleton still passes it all on by teaching 10 to 12 residents five days a week and sharing the daily workload of diagnostic reporting.
"The progression of our profession has been steady and rapid," he says reflectively. "I can remember when a film took 40 minutes to process, and now it's milliseconds. That difference in time means a faster diagnosis and, therefore, faster patient care. This is just one example of the ways in which we've grown, but it is that kind of progress that motivated me to make a gift to Texas Children's Hospital. Without people supporting us through the years, we never would have reached the quality of care that we deliver today."
Learn How You Can Help
If you would like to give back to Texas Children's Hospital with a planned gift, contact Rachel S. Kronenberger at 832-824-6907 or rskronen@texaschildrens.org. We would be happy to help you find the gift that's right for you, at no obligation.
