SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - French Hospital Medical Center landed a $1 Million dollar donation from the Copeland family, long time residents of San Luis Obispo. The money will go towards hospital expansion.
Here's the release regarding the donation:
French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) is pleased to announce the receipt of a generous $1,000,000 donation from the Copeland family.
James and Sandra Copeland and Thomas and Pamela Copeland, longtime San Luis Obispo residents and recognized business leaders and philanthropists, are avid supporters of the community and have given generously in many ways over the years. The family says supporting not-for-profit community health care is important to assuring access to quality health care for future generations.
This donation will be used to support a multimillion-dollar hospital expansion project that will bring increased patient capacity, needed upgrades and leading-edge technology to the now 40-year-old facility. These significant changes, as well as other improvements, will allow FHMC to continue providing cutting-edge medical care for its patients close to home, while attracting the best physicians and staff. The project includes:
- An Advanced Cardiac Hybrid Surgical Suite
- ICU expansion and remodel
- New Outpatient Surgical Suite
- New Specialty Patient Care Wing with oncology beds
- A remodel and expansion of the Family Birthing Center.
In 2007, the Copeland family joined the Forbes and Rossi families to help fund and create the Copeland, Forbes and Rossi Cardiac Care Center. Since then, FHMC has built an outstanding cardiac program, nationally recognized for quality and recently named a Top 50 Cardiac Hospital in the nation for the fourth consecutive year by Truven Analytics, formerly Thomson Reuters.
"Our initial gift was given to the hospital during a turbulent financial time in its history," said donor and FHMC Community Board Chairman Jim Copeland. "Community support was necessary as an investment to help turn around this true community asset and to create an environment where our outstanding physicians and surgeons can practice medicine at the highest level with the best equipment available. Now, with its undisputed reputation for quality, safety, and service, which I have been able to witness first hand, as a volunteer member of the French Hospital Community Board of Directors, our family believes that the community needs to continue investing in this local asset to secure a bright future for the hospital and therefore, sustained health care excellence for everyone on the Central Coast. In a community this small, the level of care the community demands cannot be accomplished through hospital profits alone even though as a not for profit hospital, French puts all earnings back into the community. Quality of health care and education elevates values and is at the top of the list in attracting the best and the brightest to locate and invest in our community. "
He went on to add, "Obviously, we are very pleased with the results of our initial donation to help fund and create the Copeland, Forbes and Rossi Cardiac Care Center at French Hospital which has become one of the top 50 cardiac programs in the nation."
$1.9 million in community donations is still needed to complete the fundraising campaign and complete the $26.5 million project. With the Copeland gift, FHMC Foundation has raised $4.5 million in support of the project, or 70 percent of its goal of $6.4 million.
"This modernization and expansion project will literally transform most every area of the hospital and guarantee that the most advanced technology and superior facilities are available to the community," said Alan Iftiniuk, FHMC president and CEO. "We are deeply honored and extremely grateful for the continued support and confidence bestowed by the Copeland family with this generous gift to the hospital."
For more information or to make a donation, contact FHMC Foundation at (805) 542-6496.
# # #
About French Hospital Medical Center
French Hospital Medical Center, located in San Luis Obispo, California, is rated one of the Top 100 Hospitals in the nation and one of the Top 50 Cardiac Hospitals in the nation by Thomson Reuters. The Copeland, Forbes, and Rossi Cardiac Care Center provides the latest innovative cardiac and imaging technology on the Central Coast. The hospital's current modernization and redesign project is an example of the commitment to meet the growing needs of the community with lifesaving advancements in medicine coupled with excellent, compassionate care. The hospital is home to the unique Hearst Cancer Resource Center offering free education, resources and support to cancer patients and their families. French is a Dignity Health member of the Central Coast which also includes Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, CA and Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, CA. Dignity Health of the 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 ambulatory surgery centers, technologically-advanced laboratories and imaging centers and a full service home health agency; all recognized for quality, safety and service. Each hospital is supported by an active philanthropic Foundation to help meet the growing health care needs of our communities.
