Providence St. Joseph Hospital Receives Anonymous $53 Million Gift

ORANGE, CA — A $53-million endowment to Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Orange became the second-largest ever gift in the hospital system's history, and it was done anonymously.

The Orange County couple who donated the $53-million endowment wished to remain anonymous, Providence St. Joseph officials announced Monday.

While the gift is the second-largest in the hospital's history, it's also the largest gift given to a hospital in Southern California history, Providence St. Joseph officials said.

However, one of the donors was a former hospital patient who had a serious illness that resulted in them falling into a coma, Amy Daugherty, Providence St. Joseph's chief philanthropy officer, told City News Service. The donor eventually made a recovery.

She said the couple was motivated to donate partially because of the stress frontline health workers endured through the pandemic.

"They were extremely grateful and considered making a transformational gift to the hospital for several years," Daugherty told CNS. "The reason they chose now to make the gift is they realized how difficult it has been to be a frontline caregiver in this environment."

Jeremy Zoch, chief executive of Providence St. Joseph Hospital, said the $53-million endowment will support the facility for years to come.

The money will go toward the creation of a new wing at Providence St. Joseph and upgrades to the hospital's technology.

"We hope that this investment in the future of St. Joseph Hospital will be a significant source of inspiration and pride, and reinforces the value our community sees in the lifesaving care provided at our hospital each and every day," Zoch said.

City News Service contributed to this report.