Business & Tech

Local Couple Gives $3 Million to Hospital Emergency Center

Gary and Marcia Nelson said the Sonoma Valley Hospital's emergency room was life-saving for their then infant son

 

A Sonoma couple kicked off the Sonoma Valley Hospital's groundbreaking ceremony with a $3 million donation to the new Emergency Care Center, a facility they say provided life-changing care to their son. 

Thirty years ago, the Gary and Marcia Nelson brought their son, Justin, to the Emergency Room barely breathing, blue. Quick access to medical care saved Justin, then three-months-old from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

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"We have never forgotten how fortunate we were to have this hospital nearby," said Gary.

Now, Justin is now completing his education at the Royal Veterinary College in London, England, where he lives with his wife, Maria, and their one-year-old daughter, Alexandria.

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Gary Nelson called the Hospital's Emergency Room facilities "essential" for all Sonoma residents, regardless of age or income.

"When a health crisis takes place in our Valley, we need a state-of-the-art ER with the equipment and staff required to save the lives of our friends and families," said Gary.

Gary and Marcia Nelson are the founders of the Nelson Family of Companies, a group of staffing and human capital companies that are among the largest in California.

The gift, the Nelson's hope, will preserve and increase local access to quick and potentially life-saving care for all residents.

"One can argue about many health-care issues in the US, but on a day-to-day basis, we need to serve the young, the old, and everyone in between in our valley," said Marcia.

The emergency facility is just part of a $39 million 16,000-square-foot expansion, designed to streamline hospital services and bring the facility up to seismic code.

The expansion is being financed by $32 million in general obligation bonds; the board is hoping to raise the additional $7 million through fund-raising.

Hospital officials expressed thanks for the Nelson's generosity.

"We are overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement," said hospital CEO Kelly Mather.

The hospital's expansion project, which broke ground Thursday, is expected to be completed by the summer of 2013.


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