Since the program’s inception, parents have shared with RMHC in their own words how the Ronald McDonald House program has impacted their lives. 

Alabama has one of the highest rates of pediatric morbidity and mortality, which underscores the importance of why a program like the Ronald McDonald House is critical to the future of our community.

  • More than 45,500 Alabama children have one or more disabilities.
  • Alabama has the 9th highest infant mortality rate in the nation.
  • The number of low weight births has been increasing in Alabama over the last decade.
  • Alabama has the 5th highest rate of preventable teen deaths and preventable accidents.
  • In Alabama, the human burden associated with the statistics is compounded by the barriers to access to pediatric specialty care.
  • Fully 75% of Alabama’s children do not live in a county offering comprehensive pediatric specialty care and must travel to receive needed services.

Now, published research underscores the role your support plays in keeping families together during times of medical crises.

A global team of researchers drawn from leading universities as well as from top medical centers around the world have collaborated with RMHC to evaluate the impact of the Ronald McDonald House program.

Leading universities, such as

  • UC San Francisco
  • George Washington University
  • University of Chicago

Top medical centers in

  • Hong Kong
  • Sydney, Australia
  • The United Kingdom
  • Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Cincinnati, U.S.
  • Toronto, Canada

To date, the research has produced over nine published studies, presentations at professional meetings and advanced important new areas of understanding about the role of the Ronald McDonald House and the availability of accommodations in enabling family-centered care.

Researchers are continuing to examine the role of the Ronald McDonald House program in improving clinical and psychosocial outcomes, as well as the hospital experience.

View the findings of our studies

Learn More