The Izzy Foundation's Carla Mulhern expands family support at Hasbro Children's Hospital

Carla Mulhern, executive director of The Izzy Foundation in Providence, is leading a family support operation at Hasbro Children’s Hospital that serves about 50 families a day. She is also pushing for the Izzy Family Room model to expand to hospitals nationwide.

Why it matters: - The Izzy Family Room gives families facing pediatric medical crises practical support and a quieter place to cope during hospital stays. - Mulhern’s goal is to scale that model beyond Providence, which could widen access to compassionate care in children’s hospitals nationwide.

What happened: - Carla (Buonaccorsi) Mulhern serves as executive director of The Izzy Foundation in Providence, Rhode Island. - Mulhern manages the Izzy Family Room at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. - The room supports about 50 families each day. - The program serves between 6,000 and 7,000 inpatient families each year.

The details: - The Izzy Family Room provides meals, snacks, hygiene essentials, crafts and programming. - Mulhern’s career path included eight years at KFC during her high school and college years. - She spent 20 years working as a paralegal in litigation, insurance, wills and estates, and human resources cases. - Her nonprofit work began in 2012 with a fundraising campaign for Blood Cancer United, formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, in memory of her childhood friend Michelle Hopkins. - Hopkins died of leukemia at age 11. - That campaign reconnected Mulhern with Hopkins’ family and helped shape her nonprofit career. - Mulhern later took leadership roles with Blood Cancer United and the American Heart Association before joining The Izzy Foundation. - She graduated from Roger Williams University with a bachelor’s degree in pre-law studies.

Between the lines: - Mulhern’s story reflects a common nonprofit pattern: operational skills built in other sectors can translate into mission-driven leadership. - The Izzy Foundation’s work depends on day-to-day resource management, donor trust and steady community support. - Rising costs and tighter budgets are making that work harder, which puts more pressure on creative fundraising and clear communication. - Her emphasis on transparency and collaboration suggests the organization is positioning itself for broader growth, not just local service.

What’s next: - Mulhern wants the Izzy Family Room model implemented in hospitals across the country. - She says greater awareness and stronger community engagement will be key to that expansion and to long-term sustainability. - She continues to focus on helping families find comfort, dignity and relief during treatment.

The bottom line: - Mulhern is turning a personal calling into a scalable support model for families navigating pediatric illness.