NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., March 25, 2019 — Longtime philanthropists Richard and Virginia Hunsaker recently notified Hoag Hospital Foundation that they have included a transformational $10 million gift in their estate to support the work of the Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute, as well as advancements in ophthalmology.
In honor of their extraordinary generosity, the North Tower of Hoag Hospital Newport Beach has been named the Richard C. & Virginia A. Hunsaker Pavilion.
“Hoag is extremely grateful to the Hunsakers for their exemplary support and commitment to the health and wellness of the community,” said Robert T. Braithwaite, president and CEO of Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian. “The Hunsakers are leaders and visionaries of incomparable compassion. We thank them for this gift and for all they do in support of Hoag’s mission.”
Hospital supporters since 1984, Richard and Virginia have watched Hoag grow from a small hospital into a renowned medical center with institutes of excellence. When Richard was hospitalized at Hoag in 2004, the exceptional care he received left a profound impression on him.
“My wife and I hope that our gifts will inspire others to give, too,” Richard said. “It’s the cumulative giving effect of many that makes the greatest impact.”
The Hunsaker gift will help Hoag build upon the innovation and state-of-the-art neurosciences care that patients have come to expect. The work of the Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute earned Hoag recognition by Becker’s Hospital Review as a Top 100 Hospital with Great Neurosurgery and Spine Programs.
“The Hunsakers have a focus on philanthropy that goes beyond financial support. They truly embody their commitment to their community,” said Flynn A. Andrizzi, Ph.D., Hoag Hospital Foundation president and senior vice president of Hoag. “Their legacy of generosity will impact care at Hoag for generations.”
This desire to help those who help so many makes Hoag a natural choice for the couple’s philanthropy, Virginia said.
“This community is extremely lucky to have Hoag so close by.”
About the Hoag Hospital Foundation
Thanks in large part to philanthropy, Hoag has become one of the nation’s finest health care systems and serves a diverse and growing population. Hoag Hospital Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Hoag (a separate 501(c)(3) corporation), is an integral partner in Hoag’s vision to become a trusted and nationally recognized health care leader.
The Foundation launched Hoag Promise, Our Campaign to Lead, Innovate & Transform with a goal of $627 million by December 31, 2020, making it one of the largest campaigns to date in community-based health care. The Hoag Promise Campaign is comprehensive in the truest sense of the word. Every leader from every area is engaged. Every institute and center is touched. Every program is enhanced. The goal is to drive Hoag’s continued clinical leadership, innovative spirit and transformative potential. Please visit www.HoagPromise.org.
ABOUT HOAG MEMORIAL HOSPITAL PRESBYTERIAN
Hoag is an approximately $1 billion nonprofit, regional health care delivery network in Orange County, California, that treats more than 30,000 inpatients and 450,000 outpatients annually. Hoag consists of two acute-care hospitals – Hoag Hospital Newport Beach, which opened in 1952, and Hoag Hospital Irvine, which opened in 2010 – in addition to eight health centers and 11 urgent care centers. Hoag is a designated Magnet® hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Hoag offers a comprehensive blend of health care services that includes five institutes providing specialized services in the following areas: cancer, heart and vascular, neurosciences, women’s health, and orthopedics through Hoag’s affiliate, Hoag Orthopedic Institute, which consists of an orthopedic hospital and two ambulatory surgical centers. Hoag has been named one of the Best Regional Hospitals in the 2018 – 2019 U.S. News & World Report, and Becker’s Healthcare named Hoag as one of the 2018 “100 Great Hospitals in America” – a designation Hoag has received five times. For an unprecedented 23 years, residents of Orange County have chosen Hoag as one of the county’s best hospitals in a local newspaper survey. Visit www.hoag.org for more information.
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