Traci Simonsen, Chief Philanthropy Officer, Fred Lissauer, Auxiliary President, Mary Roff, Auxilliary Past President, Amit Rastogi, MD, MHCM, President and CEO of Jupiter Medical Center
$1.5 million donation is earmarked for special space at Johnny and Terry Gray Surgical Institute
May 31, 2023– Jupiter Medical Center is pleased to announce a $1.5 million donation to support the Johnny and Terry Gray Surgical Institute. The funds were generously provided by the Jupiter Medical Center Auxiliary, the not-for-profit hospital’s volunteer organization, to create a state-of-the-art and tranquil family waiting area at the highly anticipated facility. In honor of the gift, the space will be named the “Jupiter Medical Center Auxiliary Lounge.”
“The Auxiliary’s commitment to the hospital stands strong,” said Auxiliary President Fred Lissauer. “Earlier this year, the Auxiliary Board unanimously agreed to pledge $1.5 million over four years to fund the family waiting area in the Johnny and Terry Gray Surgical Institute.”
The donation is the result of sales from the hospital’s volunteer-run thrift and gift shops. In addition to financial contributions, the Auxiliary oversees all volunteer efforts, including the 55,000 hours of service provided between the shops and patient care in 2022. Since its inception, the Auxiliary has donated more than $14 million to the hospital. Prior to this donation, its most recent gift was a $1 million pledge in 2019 to support the hospital’s DeGeorge Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Since the NICU opened in 2019, Jupiter Medical Center has cared for nearly 250 babies and their families.
“We are grateful for the continuous support we receive from our Auxiliary,” said Amit Rastogi, MD, MHCM, President and CEO of Jupiter Medical Center. “Their dedication, both in financial contributions and hours of service, is a key pillar of what makes Jupiter Medical Center a premier health system for care. This gift will support our patients’ families with a spacious waiting area, where they can have private consultations with our medical team before and after surgeries, as well as receive real-time updates throughout.”
The highly anticipated 90,000-square-foot Surgical Institute will feature 16 smart operating rooms and two hybrid operating suites. Through the community’s generous support, more than $52 million has been raised towards the $100 million project. In December, the hospital announced a transformative $25 million lead gift from Jupiter-based philanthropists Johnny and Terry Gray to name the institute. The development of the Surgical Institute is in direct response to the significant growth of the community and the corresponding need. More than 15,000 traditional and minimally invasive surgical procedures are performed at Jupiter Medical Center annually. The Surgical Institute is on track to open by the end of 2023.
“Philanthropy is the heartbeat of our hospital,” said Traci Simonsen, Chief Philanthropy Officer. “We are grateful to the Auxiliary for their ongoing support of our mission to provide the world-class, patient-centered care for which we are known. And this gift illustrates that our dedication extends beyond our patients to also include their families.”
For more information about Jupiter Medical Center, visit jupitermed.com, call 561-263-2234 or follow Jupiter Medical Center on Twitter @JupiterMedCtr or on Facebook and Instagram @jupitermedicalcenter.
ABOUT JUPITER MEDICAL CENTER
Highly rated in the region for quality, safety and patient experience, Jupiter Medical Center is the leading destination for world-class health care in Palm Beach County and across the Treasure Coast. Jupiter Medical Center’s state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge technologies enable its award-winning physicians to provide a comprehensive continuum of inpatient and outpatient health care services. Jupiter Medical Center’s specialty centers of excellence include: orthopedics, comprehensive cancer care, cardiovascular care, neurosciences, and women’s and children’s services. For more information about Jupiter Medical Center, please call 561-263-2200 or visit www.jupitermed.com.
