Evening of annual gala event raises additional $1.6 million
Riverside, Calif. (February 22, 2019) – The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians gifted Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital $25 million on Thursday night at the 26th Annual Children’s Hospital Foundation Gala, held at the Riverside Convention Center.
Tribal Secretary Ken Ramirez, who presented the gift on behalf of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, said this donation — the largest donation San Manuel has ever made — will forge an even stronger partnership with Loma Linda University Health to move the community forward in health and wellness.
“San Manuel is grateful for the compassion shown to our elders by Loma Linda University Health many decades ago,” Ramirez said. “We are excited about the new opportunities and lifesaving care that the new Children’s Hospital will offer to our shared community and loved ones.”
Scott Perryman, MBA, senior vice president and administrator of Children’s Hospital, expressed his gratitude for the tribe’s monumental gift.
“We enthusiastically join San Manuel in a commitment to improve healthcare in our community for generations to come,” Perryman said. “Their generosity will help us transform maternal care to the benefit of each mother and baby that Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital cares for.”
The fifth floor of Loma Linda University Health’s new adult acute care hospital and Children’s Hospital facility will be named the San Manuel Maternity Pavilion in honor of this landmark gift — the second largest gift ever given to Loma Linda University Health. This pavilion will allow Children’s Hospital to continue as the leader in high risk birth care in the region, with approximately 50 percent of births at the hospital being high risk.
“It was my honor and pleasure to announce the new San Manuel Maternity Pavilion,” said Kerry Heinrich, JD, CEO of Loma Linda University Medical Center. “We are overwhelmed by this incredible gift they’ve given us.”
The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians were also presented with the Discovery Lifetime Achievement Award, highlighting a partnership and evolving relationship between San Manuel and Loma Linda University Health for more than 100 years.
“The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and Loma Linda University Health have shared a mission to enhance the health of children in our region informed by more than a century of friendship,” said Rachelle Bussell, MA, CFRE, senior vice president for advancement at Loma Linda University Health. “This most recent amazing gift reaffirms the confidence the San Manuel Tribe has in the vital work we do together to change lives.”
Richard H. Hart, MD, DrPH, president of Loma Linda University Health, said this monumental gift will empower Loma Linda University Health to go forward into the future.
“The coming years will bring monumental changes to Loma Linda University Health, both in the physical landscape and in the practice of health care,” Hart said. “San Manuel’s support will have a profound impact on the tiniest, most vulnerable patients from our communities. Loma Linda University Health is inspired by this trust.”
The Gala itself, themed “Passport to Healthy,” raised a staggering $1,638,570.
Funds raised will continue benefiting Vision 2020 – The Campaign for a Whole Tomorrow, which supports construction of the new Children’s Hospital tower.
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About The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
The San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians is a federally recognized American Indian tribe located near the city of Highland, Calif. The Serrano Indians are the indigenous people of the San Bernardino highlands, passes, valleys and mountains who share a common language and culture. The San Manuel reservation was established in 1891 and recognized as a sovereign nation with the right of self-government. As an indigenous community the origins and history of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians stem from our relationship with the land and to all who share it. Since ancient times we have expressed ourselves through a culture of giving. Today, San Manuel is able to answer the call of Yawa' (Serrano word meaning “to act on one's beliefs”) through partnerships with charitable organizations. We have drawn upon our history, knowledge, expertise and cultural values to direct our philanthropic giving in our local region, as well as to Native American causes nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.sanmanuel-nsn.gov.
About Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital - LLUCH
The Children’s Hospital is the only dedicated pediatric hospital in the vast geographic region of San Bernardino, Riverside, Inyo and Mono counties. With 348 beds dedicated just for kids, one of the largest Neonatal Intensive Care Units in the country and more than 100,000 children who come each year, LLUCH is a major pediatric teaching facility, known worldwide as the pioneer of neonatal heart transplantation. LLUCH is part of Loma Linda University Health – the umbrella organization encompassing Loma Linda University’s eight professional schools, Loma Linda University Medical Center’s six hospitals and more than 1,00 faculty physicians located across the Inland Empire in Southern California. A Seventh-day Adventist organization, Loma Linda University Health is a faith-based health system with a mission “to continue the teaching and healing ministry of Jesus Christ.”
