Marcus Foundation Makes $75 Million Commitment to Piedmont's Future

ATLANTA, March 18, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Piedmont Healthcare has received a gift of $75 million from The Marcus Foundation, Inc. to support the growth of Piedmont Heart Institute, the system's nationally recognized heart and vascular program, and the renewal of Piedmont's Atlanta campus through the establishment of the Marcus Heart and Vascular Center. This is the second largest gift ever made to a community hospital in the U.S.

"We are happy to participate with Piedmont in this exciting endeavor that will bring the best of cardiac care to the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia. The new facility will enable Piedmont to achieve goals that would have only remained dreams at the present location. I look forward to the positive impact these changes will have on the future health of this great community," said Bernie Marcus, chairman of The Marcus Foundation. 

Governor Nathan Deal commented, "This is a great day for Georgia. The Marcus Foundation has been incredibly generous to Atlanta in so many areas, and this is an especially important gift because it will help provide better access to expert healthcare for millions of Georgians. We're lucky to have Piedmont hospitals as community assets in Buckhead and across metro Atlanta, and I believe this level of investment also helps Georgia become a regional healthcare destination."

"We are humbled and honored that The Marcus Foundation chose once again to invest its resources in Piedmont," said Kevin Brown, President and CEO of Piedmont Healthcare. "This gift is perfectly timed to help accelerate the growth of Piedmont Heart and refresh the Atlanta campus with a focus on clinical excellence, patient safety and a customer-centric approach to the healthcare experience."

The Marcus Heart and Vascular Center will create a comprehensive care experience for Piedmont Heart patients, establishing dedicated space for heart-related procedures and hospital stays, as well as enhanced patient support and navigation services. In addition, it will expand Piedmont's ability to participate in and lead cardiovascular research studies, and share its work with other national experts in cardiovascular care.

"This new gift from Mr. Marcus represents a huge boost to the tens of thousands of heart patients currently cared for by our more than 100 Piedmont Heart physicians," said Dr. Charlie Brown, chief of Piedmont Physicians and a practicing Piedmont Heart physician. "Expanding our services and supporting that work with the best technology and most modern facilities will help us have an even larger positive impact on our patients' lives."

In 2012, The Marcus Foundation gave $20 million to establish the Marcus Heart Valve Center  - the nation's first comprehensive valve center for care, training and research regardless of the valve in which the damage occurs or the reason for it. Since then, the Center has made Piedmont Atlanta a destination for patients with heart valve problems as well as for physicians wanting to learn the latest advancements in treatment for these complex patients and increase access to care.

The $75 million Marcus gift will help kick off a larger capital campaign to support Piedmont's plans to renew its Atlanta campus and advance its services to meet the community's growing demand for top clinical services like Piedmont's heart, transplant, cancer, orthopedic and women's health programs.

Piedmont Heart Institute, which is primarily located at Piedmont Atlanta, has been recognized nationally by several groups both for its high quality of cardiovascular care and for its contributions and participation in advanced research.

Contact: Elisabeth Wang, 404-425-1364 or [email protected]

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SOURCE Piedmont Healthcare