Anonymous Friend of Dominican Hospital Makes $1M Donation

SANTA CRUZ, CA — An anonymous $1 million donation that was made to Dignity Health Dominican Hospital will benefit hospital employees by means of bonuses that will be paid out over the next month thanks to the contribution to the Dominican Hospital Foundation.

More than 1,350 hospital employees will receive the financial gift, including nurses, housekeeping staff, medical technicians and other staff members, the San Jose Mercury News reported. Hospital spokeswoman Claire Henry told the newspaper that physicians who are not directly employed by the hospital, along with other hospital staff, did not qualify for the bonus.

In a letter to hospital employees, the donor wrote, “To the heroes of Dominican Hospital: Thank you for standing up (and staying up!) to care for our community. This humankindness is what makes you heroic. Please accept this donation in recognition of and with great thanks for all that you do. And please know that my heart is with you as we seek to protect and care for each other during this challenging time.”

The benefactor, who was identified only as a Santa Cruz County resident and a longtime friend and supporter of Dominican Hospital, indicated it is his wish to provide employees with a check to thank and support them specifically during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We cannot adequately express the depth of our gratitude for this gracious, selfless gift,” Dominican Hospital President Nanette Mickiewicz said in a news release. “We are incredibly proud of the work our hospital family is doing in the face of such an unprecedented situation. This generous donation is a testament to their clinical excellence, their tireless dedication and, most of all, their profound humanity.”

All employees who have met a threshold number of hours worked before March 1 will receive the check within the next 30 days, hospital officials indicated. Full-time employees will receive a gift of $800 while part-time workers will receive $600. The Mercury News reported that to qualify, Dominican employees must have worked at least 1,600 hours from March 2019 to Feb. 2020 for the larger gift and 800 hours in the same period for the smaller share.

“We are proud to share that 100 percent of the donor’s gift is being distributed to Dominican Hospital employees,” said Drew Gagner, Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer of the Dominican Hospital Foundation. “We are humbled by this heartfelt thank you and blessed to have such caring donors in our community.”

According to hospital officials, the Dominican Hospital Foundation has established two funds in support of patients and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond:

• · Dominican Emergency Preparedness Fund – This fund provides necessary resources to care for our patients during a crisis—such as the current COVID-19 pandemic—through medical supplies, medical equipment, testing, additional staffing, and other unidentified needs that may arise.
• · Dominican Frontline Spirit Fund – This fund will be used to bolster the spirits of our community of frontline health care providers at Dominican Hospital, who put themselves and their families at risk each and every day they come to work.

To learn more about how to support the Dominican Hospital Foundation, please call 831.462-7712 or visit supportdominican.org/donate. To learn more about Dominican Hospital, please visit dignityhealth.org/Dominican.