$2.5 Million Gift to French Hospital Medical Center Supports the Beyond Health Campaign
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA – August 31, 2020 – French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) today announced a $2.5 million lead gift by a local anonymous donor. This transformative gift for the Beyond Health fundraising campaign will support a large-scale $130 million hospital campus expansion project.
Total support for the campaign is now at more than $13 million towards a goal to raise $30 million, with Dignity Health investing $100 million.
Support for the campaign has been mounting over the past several months, even during these uncertain times. Since November 2019, the campaign has raised more than $6 million which includes this most recent anonymous gift.
Such donations include a lead gift from Bill and Cheryl Swanson to support the new Swanson Family Chapel which will begin construction in November.
Today, as the world battles a global pandemic, the future of a robust health care delivery system for San Luis Obispo County hinges on the many attributes of this expansion project; including advanced patient rooms with single occupancy for both medical and critical care patients located in a new Patient Care Tower. Private patient rooms have been proven to significantly reduce infection rates.
FHMC leadership believes that the COVID-19 virus has taught the hospital many valuable lessons which will continue to drive the design and implementation of this vital and much needed health care project.
“The Beyond Health movement has become even more critical today as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. The need for additional capacity and advanced technologies are essential to caring for our growing community,” says President and CEO Alan Iftiniuk. “We are grateful for the support of our many donors who have invested in transforming health care in San Luis Obispo County.”
The Beyond Health campaign was launched in June 2019. The name was chosen to reflect the hospital’s commitment to advancing medical care and holistic services beyond the traditional community hospital.
The FHMC expansion, called “Your New French Hospital” will include:
- Four-story 85,000 square-foot addition with 56 new private patient rooms
- An additional 10 Intensive Care Unit private beds, bringing the total to 21
- Stan and Barbara Clark Neonatal Intensive Care Unit - 16 private rooms
- Swanson Robotic Surgery Program plus other new medical technology
- Swanson Family Chapel - a newly built interfaith chapel
- Expanded healing garden adjacent to the chapel
- New hospital main entrance, lobby (Welcome Center) and dining area
- Ronca Family Plaza – located in front of the new entrance beautifully landscaped to greet patients and visitors
- Harold Miossi Garden Terrace located on the third floor of the new tower
- Expanded space for imaging, labs, pharmacy and more
- A helistop helicopter landing pad for critical emergencies
- Expanded parking capacity
The entire expansion project is planned for completion by early 2024.
In recent years, with the full-fledged support of our many benefactors, FHMC has established the renowned Copeland, Forbes & Rossi Cardiac Care Center, George Hoag Family Hybrid Surgical Suite, Hearst Cancer Resource Center, Stollmeyer Family Birthing Center, Copeland Health Education Pavilion and Oppenheimer Family Center for Emergency Medicine.
Since Dignity Health acquired French Hospital in 2004, more than $115 million (non-inclusive of the new tower project) has been invested in the not-for-profit hospital to transform and modernize the facility. French Hospital has also provided nearly $30 million in community benefits to support various community programs.
To learn more about the project, visit www.gobeyondhealth.org.
###
About French Hospital Medical Center
French Hospital Medical Center, located in San Luis Obispo, California, is rated among the top hospitals in the nation. The Copeland, Forbes, and Rossi Cardiac Care Center provides the latest innovative cardiac and imaging technology, and is home to the Hearst Cancer Resource Center offering free education, resources and support to cancer patients and their families. French is a Dignity Health Central Coast hospital which also includes Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, CA, Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, CA, St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, CA and St. John’s Pleasant Valley in Camarillo, CA. Dignity Health Central Coast is an integrated network of top quality hospitals, physicians from the most prestigious medical schools, and comprehensive outpatient services, including primary care offices, premier surgery centers, technologically-advanced laboratories, imaging centers and a full service home health agency; all recognized for quality, safety and service.
Publish date:
Monday, August 31, 2020