June 24, 2024 — NCH announced today that it has received a $5 million donation from the John and Susan Morrison Foundation to establish an endowed chair at the NCH Wingard Stroke Institute. The chair will be named “The John and Susan Morrison Endowed Chair” in recognition of the donors. It will support the work of Mazen AbuAwad, MD, Executive Director of the Wingard Stroke Institute.
Funding will support Dr. AbuAwad by providing backing for his clinical, teaching, and research activities, ultimately allowing him to lead a center of excellence for neurovascular care. His dedication to stroke prevention, education, and rehabilitation brings best-in-class comprehensive care to our patients and community.
“While this recognition is truly a testament to the tireless efforts and dedication of our entire team at the NCH Wingard Stroke Institute, I am deeply honored to be named as the recipient of the John and Susan Morrison Endowed Chair of the NCH Wingard Stroke Institute,” said Mazen AbuAwad, MD, Executive Director of the NCH Wingard Stroke Institute. “To Mr. and Mrs. Morrison, I offer my deepest thanks for your gift. Pledges of support such as yours serve as a catalyst for the advancement of our program.”
As longtime members of the Naples community, John and Susan Morrison are known for their extraordinary generosity.
“We are profoundly grateful to John and Susan for their trust and deep belief in our mission to deliver top-quality care for all who need NCH,” said NCH Board Chair Scott Lutgert. “Their gift to recognize a true visionary leader in the field of stroke intervention will have a lasting impact on our patients.”
“This recognition underscores Dr. AbuAwad’s exceptional leadership and commitment to advancing stroke care,” said Paul Hiltz, President and CEO of NCH. “We are incredibly proud and fortunate to have such a dedicated and talented professional at the helm of our institute.”
John and Susan Morrison’s commitment to excellence, education, and innovation directly aligns with Dr. AbuAwad’s approach to care. With their support, NCH will continue to expand in neurovascular research.
About NCH
NCH (Naples Comprehensive Health) is an Advanced Community Healthcare System™ serving Southwest Florida with premier routine, critical, and specialty care. NCH, a locally governed non-profit, is recognized as one of Healthgrades America’s Top 100 Hospitals which puts it in the top 2% in the nation for clinical excellence, in addition to being named a Top 50 Hospital for Surgical Care. The system is more than just two hospitals (referred to as the NCH Baker Hospital and NCH North Hospital) with a total of 713 beds – NCH is an alliance of over 750 physicians and medical facilities in dozens of locations throughout Southwest Florida and is the region’s only Joint Commission accredited Comprehensive Stroke Center. NCH cardiac care is ranked top-3 in the state by Healthgrades. NCH collaborates with the Hospital for Special Surgery for orthopedics, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital for pediatrics, and ProScan Imaging for radiology services, ensuring top-tier medical care is available in Southwest Florida. With the largest provider network, urgent/immediate care centers, diagnostic facilities, and two hospitals, NCH is always advancing the quality of care near you. For more information, visit www.NCHmd.org.
