November 11, 2024 – The James M. Schoonmaker II Foundation has made a generous $5 million gift to the NCH Rooney Heart Institute, furthering its mission to support advanced healthcare initiatives. This transformative donation will help expand NCH’s cutting-edge cardiac-care services, ensuring that patients right here in Naples have access to the best providers, treatment options, and technology available.
This gift continues the Schoonmaker Foundation’s longstanding partnership with NCH. In previous years, the Foundation has supported multiple projects, including the naming of a physician conference room and contributions to expand orthopedic care.
Healthcare is a focus for the James M. Schoonmaker II Foundation and underscores its dedication to advancing medical care in the community. This latest contribution will directly support the new home for cardiac and stroke services on the NCH Downtown Baker Campus, which will be known as the R.M. Schulze Family Heart and Stroke Critical Care Center. The $265 million facility, funded almost entirely by philanthropy, will integrate complex and specialized care under one roof, in turn, elevating quality and patient experience.
“We are proud to continue our commitment to NCH and its mission to help everyone in our community live longer and healthier lives,” said Treecie Schoonmaker, Chairman of the James M. Schoonmaker II Foundation. “This donation is a reflection of our belief in the power of modern medicine and the vital role that institutions like NCH play in improving health outcomes for all.”
“We are incredibly grateful to the Schoonmaker Foundation for this transformative gift,” said Paul Hiltz, President & CEO at NCH. “This extraordinary contribution will have a lasting impact on the lives of countless patients and their families, allowing us to continue providing world-class cardiovascular care. We are honored by their trust in our mission and excited about the future of heart health at NCH.”
The Schoonmaker Foundation gift brings the balance left to raise for the capital project to $72 million. NCH plans to formally break ground in February 2025 with an anticipated opening in 2027.
For more information on how the Schoonmaker Foundation’s gift will impact the NCH Rooney Heart Institute, or to learn about giving opportunities, please contact the NCH Philanthropy Department at (239) 624-2000.
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.
