Leonsis Family Donates $5 million to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
The donation funds multiple pediatric areas including a new rooftop helipad with direct access to a state-of-the-art emergency department and operating rooms, benefiting children experiencing acute trauma and supporting their families in the new, world class Verstandig Pavilion.
Transformational $50 million philanthropic gift to support new medical/surgical pavilion from Grant Verstandig and the Verstandig Family Foundation
“We are incredibly grateful to Grant Verstandig for his generous support of MedStar Health and in particular, for making this naming gift to the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Medical/Surgical Pavilion.”
—Kenneth A. Samet, President and Chief Executive Officer of MedStar Health.
A distinguished philanthropist endows chair and gives to new Medical/Surgical Pavilion
“Philanthropic investments like Mr. D’Aniello’s accelerate the advancement of medicine, inspire our caregivers, and help ensure a future of promise and hope for our patients and their families.”
—Mike Sachtleben, senior vice president and chief operating officer, Washington Region, MedStar Health, and president, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
The Bernstein Companies have built and renewed properties around our region for more than five decades, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to fostering local growth. So the Bernstein family’s recent philanthropic investment in the development of the Medical/Surgical Pavilion at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital is particularly fitting.
As a result of their support, the new Medical/Surgical Pavilion will include the Bernstein Family Patient Care Floor for Neuroscience Excellence, a space designed to promote best practices in neurological care. With cutting-edge technology, 52 patient beds, a physical therapy gym, tranquil patient rooms, and both Intensive Care and Intermediate Care units, the facility will be state-of-the art.
It’s a visionary project made possible by a multimillion-dollar philanthropic investment from:
- Former U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark Stuart Bernstein and his wife, Wilma, who are grateful patients of MedStar Georgetown
- Stuart and Wilma’s son, Adam K. Bernstein, and his wife, Tracy
- Josh Bernstein; his wife, Lisa; and the Diane and Norman Bernstein Foundation
- Richard D. Bernstein
- Marc N. Duber, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Bernstein Companies real estate firm, member of the MedStar Health Board of Directors, and chair of MedStar Health’s Philanthropy Committee; along with his wife Nancy.
For Ambassador and Mrs. Bernstein, this partnership was inspired by their personal experiences with Fernando L. Pagan, MD, vice chairman for the Department of Neurology, and Christopher Gene Kalhorn, MD, co-director of the MedStar Georgetown Movement Disorders Program and director of MedStar Georgetown's Epilepsy and Functional Neurosurgery Program. Their gift was an expression of gratitude for their care experience.
“At the Department of Neurology, my family experienced true excellence in care,” says Ambassador Bernstein. “This gift is intended to promote the life-changing work that MedStar Georgetown clinicians perform each day.”
“We are so grateful to the Bernstein family for their generous commitment,” says Michael Sachtleben, president of MedStar Georgetown. “It will have a lasting impact on our patients and their caregivers by advancing this transformational project.”
Rewind to 2012, when Jeff arrived at the Emergency department at MedStar Georgetown in extreme abdominal pain. The physicians’ rapid assessment revealed gastric volvulus, a condition in which part, or all, of the stomach twists more than 180 degrees.
Fast intervention and emergency surgery by the surgical team, headed by Patrick Jackson, MD, at MedStar Georgetown was critical to saving his life and a quarter of his stomach. “Because of our team approach to surgery, we were able to recognize the severity of Jeff’s condition and act on it immediately using a minimally invasive procedure,” explains Nadim Haddad, MD, chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
It took Jeff three long years of hard work and persistence to recover, which is not uncommon. Today, the Ferrills feel blessed to be able to give back to their hospital family.
“We are so grateful to Joan and Jeff Ferrill for this support,” says Michael Sachtleben, president of MedStar Georgetown. “Their gift will have a real and lasting impact on our patients, caregivers, and the communities we serve for generations to come.”
It’s a philanthropic partnership that was born out of Neil’s personal history and the couple’s deep commitment to the hospital and its focus on caring for the whole person.
“My first wife, Dana, was in and out of the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center for more than a decade as she fought a losing battle with leukemia,” Neil explains. “While her care was great, we spent countless hours during her infusion sessions in surroundings that did nothing to make you feel better or alleviate your anxiety or worry.”
The couple’s donation will help create a relaxing, comfortable and soothing space for family members to pass the time while their loved ones are in surgery. In appreciation of their generosity, the Kishters will be recognized in the surgical suite’s lobby and waiting area on the second floor.
“The Kishters’ latest support is a very tangible and personal signal to others that they believe in what we can accomplish together,” says Michael Sachtleben, president of MedStar Georgetown. “As the first philanthropic investment to the campaign at the seven-figure level, it got us off to an early and strong start. With Neil and Emily leading the way, the pavilion will be the flagship healthcare building in the nation’s capital, giving our patients and our world-class physicians a world-class facility to call home.”
The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation was established with a simple but powerful mission: to give back. The private family foundation is committed to sustaining vibrant, healthy communities through support of transformative organizations. MedStar Georgetown University Hospital is honored to be among these partners.
“MedStar Georgetown University Hospital has done so much to support the health of our community, including my family,” explains Richard Marriott. “We believe that every person deserves access to the kind of superior medical care we have experienced here firsthand. Through our philanthropic support, we hope to grow the Hospital’s lifesaving efforts.”
The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation’s investment will yield tangible results. “We are deeply grateful for the Marriott family’s comprehensive investment,” says Pam Maroulis, the Hospital’s vice president of Philanthropy. “The leadership conveyed by this significant contribution to our Medical/Surgical Pavilion helps to set the tone for our $112 million philanthropy campaign.”
Largest single gift to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital catalyzes new Medical/Surgical Pavilion campaign
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital announced today a $10 million gift from Shelley and Allan Holt to support the construction of the new Medical/Surgical Pavilion, one of the largest health care projects in the region. The leadership gift – the largest ever received by MedStar Georgetown and the largest gift to the pavilion campaign to date – will provide revolutionary technology to assist surgeons with planning and performing complex procedures, improve the quality of care for patients, and create unparalleled training opportunities for tomorrow’s surgical leaders.
Specifically, the Holts’ gift will advance the hospital’s world class care with one of the first intraoperative MRI (iMRI) surgical suites in the region. The iMRI suite will be housed in the new Medical/Surgical Pavilion currently under construction at MedStar Georgetown which is scheduled for completion in 2023.
“We are deeply grateful to the Holts for the generosity of this transformative gift that will advance our preeminent clinical and research environment,” said Kenneth A. Samet, president and CEO of MedStar Health. “Their gift has already catalyzed our philanthropic efforts and motivated other philanthropists to join this endeavor. This is truly an investment in the future of medicine, one that will benefit patients across the Washington, D.C. region and beyond.”
“Our commitment holds great significance for me because I started my career at Georgetown University Hospital and am honored now to serve on the MedStar Georgetown Board of Directors,” said Mrs. Holt. “Allan and I have been impressed by their perpetual drive to advance the future of medicine, scholarly achievement, and access to care for all. We hope our gift for the new pavilion will encourage others to support it as they can.”
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and Georgetown University today announced a $5 million gift from Claire and Tom Joyce to support the construction of the new Medical/Surgical Pavilion at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and the Georgetown Scholars Program (GSP) Necessity Fund Endowment at Georgetown University.
“We are deeply grateful for this generous commitment from the Joyces to support the Medical/Surgical Pavilion at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and the Georgetown Scholars Program at Georgetown University,” said Kenneth A. Samet, president and CEO of MedStar Health. “Claire and Tom have always cared deeply about the community in which they live. Their support and philanthropic leadership will make a significant difference in the lives of our patients and first-generation Georgetown students.”
The Joyces’ gift supports MedStar Georgetown University Hospital’s new Medical/Surgical Pavilion, which is currently the largest healthcare construction project in Washington, D.C., comprising 477,213 square feet that will feature 156 private patient rooms, a rooftop helipad with direct access to 31 state-of-the-art operating rooms, and 32 exam rooms in a modernized emergency department. The Medical/Surgical Pavilion supports MedStar Georgetown University Hospital’s continued focus on providing both outstanding patient care and leading-edge advancements in medical technology, and will move the region’s healthcare capabilities an important step forward in support of the future healthcare needs of our region. The Pavilion is scheduled for completion in 2023.
The new pavilion will encompass three essential elements of a world-class academic medical center: excellent clinical care, a strong foundation in education, and leading- edge research. As a result, the Medical/Surgical Pavilion will foster growth and training in the specialty services for complex diseases that MedStar Georgetown University Hospital is uniquely qualified to deliver, including oncology, gastroenterology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, and transplant.