(COLUMBUS, Ohio) - Nationwide Children's Hospital announced today that its patient tower has been named in honor of Ann Isaly Wolfe, the former chair of the hospital's Board of Directors and a decades-long champion of the hospital's patients.

Nationwide Children's is also celebrating "Ann Isaly Wolfe Day" today, including the delivery of plush Yorkshire Terriers named "Isaly" that represent Ms. Wolfe's own beloved Yorkie dogs, a gift intended to brighten patients' spirits during their hospital stay.

Ms. Wolfe was the first woman to chair the hospital's Board of Directors, a role she held twice. In her 45 years of service on the hospital's Board, Wolfe chaired three fundraising campaigns that generated nearly $1 billion for Nationwide Children's.

"Ann has been a cornerstone of this hospital, one of the leaders who has been an important force in driving Nationwide Children's and the City of Columbus forward," said Tim Robinson, chief executive officer of Nationwide Children's Hospital. "We cannot describe the evolution - in fact, the transformation - of our hospital without the support of the Wolfe family. Ann Wolfe's effort and determination have improved the lives of generations of children and families."

Ann Wolfe - along with her late husband John - have endowed eight faculty chairs at Nationwide Children's, allowing the hospital to attract some of the brightest minds in pediatric research and medicine.

"It's impossible to capture the phenomenal dedication and commitment that Ann has shown for the hospital," said Steve Testa, president of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Foundation. "We often say that no one has walked more miles throughout the hospital than Ann. Her support of our new Fetal Surgery Center, Radiology and Neonatology units, and endowment of faculty chairs have allowed the hospital to become a national leader in pediatric health care and achieve our goals of best outcomes for all children."