Group photo at Children's of Alabama — Children’s CEO Tom Shufflebarger (center left) and Norfolk Southern CEO Mark George (center right) pose in a group photo surrounded by PICU and other medical professionals after the gift announcement Friday, Nov. 14. (Mary Helene Hall / Bham Now)

Norfolk Southern has gifted $455,000 to Children’s of Alabama to go toward expanding its pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and simulation training manikins.

The donation was announced Friday, Nov. 14, at a press conference at the hospital.

Bolstering Birmingham’s PICU

Two women at a podium. — Dr. Nancy Tofil (left) and Dr. Chrystal Rutledge (right) speak on the impact the Norfolk Southern gift will have on Children’s of Alabama. (Mary Helene Hall / Bham Now)

Despite Children’s being “one of the best kept secrets in the country of pediatric care,” Dr. Nancy Tofil from the pediatric program said, the hospital currently has one of the fewest bed-to-population ratios for PICUs in the entire country.

“By going from 24 up to 50 (beds) — and thank God, we don’t think we’ll need 50 usually — we hopefully will never have to turn that child away again.”
Dr. Nancy Tofil, medical director of the Pediatric Simulation Center + senior associate pediatric program director

When hospitals’ ICUs are full, they go “on diversion,” meaning they are unable to accept new patients from ambulances due to a lack of beds or available staff.

According to Dr. Tofil, other hospitals that specialize in pediatric care like Emory and Vanderbilt generally go on diversion much quicker than Children’s. That means in the rare event that Children’s is at capacity, there is another patient who can’t get to Birmingham for treatment.

The new PICU unit will be complete at the beginning of 2026.

Manekins train doctors beyond Children’s

Dr. Chrystal Rutledge, the medical co-director of the pediatric simulation center, and Dr. Tofil work to train community healthcare professionals around Alabama. This training leads to better care for critically ill children before they are able to reach a hospital.

Thanks to Norfolk Southern’s gift, Children’s will purchase two high-tech simulation training manikins for medical education, both at the hospital and across the state through the training programs.

“We have a privilege to be able to work here, where we have the resources that are able to take care of kids…

“We know that’s a privilege, but we also have an obligation to make sure that we have well trained people who can care for those patients. And that’s not only in this hospital…but also being able to give back to our communities.”
Dr. Chrystal Rutledge

Programs include the Simulation Center (SIM) and the Children’s of Alabama Community Healthcare Education Simulation Program (COACHES), which both serve to improve care for children in need of medical attention.

Making Birmingham a better place to live + work

Speaker at podium with decorations — Norfolk Southern President and CEO Mark George announces the $455,000 gift to Children’s of Alabama. (Mary Helene Hall / Bham Now)

Part of this gift, according to Norfolk Southern President and CEO Mark George, is intended to make an impact on the community where so many of their employees work.

Out of Norfolk Southern’s thousands of employees in Alabama, most are concentrated in the Birmingham area.

“This isn’t all about business. This is about making sure that we have employees who are happy in the community where they live, that the communities can support this.”
Mark George

But of course, George said the inspiration behind the donation was the stories of kids whose lives were saved thanks to the medical professionals at Children’s.

“We all think we have big jobs and important jobs, but as I was telling [Children’s of Alabama CEO Tom Shufflebarger], they pale in comparison to the importance of the work you do. This is life and death, and it’s life and death for young people who deserve to see a multi-decade future.”
Mark George

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