San Manuel Band of Mission Indians gifts $25 million to LLU Children’s Hospital
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To tease the donation announcement, a surprise was said to be kept in the gold suitcase. Tribal Secretary Ken Ramirez pulls the special announcement out of the suitcase to introduce the $25 million check presentation.
The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians gifted Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital $25 million on Thursday night at the 26th Annual Children’s Hospital Foundation Gala, held at the Riverside Convention Center.
Tribal Secretary Ken Ramirez, who presented the gift on behalf of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, said this donation — the largest donation San Manuel has ever made — will forge an even stronger partnership with Loma Linda University Health to move the community forward in health and wellness.
“San Manuel is grateful for the compassion shown to our elders by Loma Linda University Health many decades ago,” Ramirez said. “We are excited about the new opportunities and lifesaving care that the new Children’s Hospital will offer to our shared community and loved ones.”
Scott Perryman, MBA, senior vice president and administrator of Children’s Hospital, expressed his gratitude for the tribe’s monumental gift.
“We enthusiastically join San Manuel in a commitment to improve healthcare in our community for generations to come,” Perryman said. “Their generosity will help us transform maternal care to the benefit of each mother and baby that Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital cares for.”
The fifth floor of Loma Linda University Health’s new adult acute care hospital and Children’s Hospital facility will be named the San Manuel Maternity Pavilion in honor of this landmark gift — the second largest gift ever given to Loma Linda University Health. This pavilion will allow Children’s Hospital to continue as the leader in high risk birth care in the region, with approximately 50 percent of births at the hospital being high risk.
“It was my honor and pleasure to announce the new San Manuel Maternity Pavilion,” said Kerry Heinrich, JD, CEO of Loma Linda University Medical Center. “We are overwhelmed by this incredible gift they’ve given us.”
The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians were also presented with the Discovery Lifetime Achievement Award, highlighting a partnership and evolving relationship between San Manuel and Loma Linda University Health for more than 100 years.
“The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and Loma Linda University Health have shared a mission to enhance the health of children in our region informed by more than a century of friendship,” said Rachelle Bussell, MA, CFRE, senior vice president for advancement at Loma Linda University Health. “This most recent amazing gift reaffirms the confidence the San Manuel Tribe has in the vital work we do together to change lives.”
Richard H. Hart, MD, DrPH, president of Loma Linda University Health, said this monumental gift will empower Loma Linda University Health to go forward into the future.
“The coming years will bring monumental changes to Loma Linda University Health, both in the physical landscape and in the practice of health care,” Hart said. “San Manuel’s support will have a profound impact on the tiniest, most vulnerable patients from our communities. Loma Linda University Health is inspired by this trust.”
The Gala itself, themed “Passport to Healthy,” raised a staggering $1,638,570.
Funds raised will continue benefiting Vision 2020 – The Campaign for a Whole Tomorrow, which supports construction of the new Children’s Hospital tower.
