Hearst Foundations grant boosts York Hospital cardiac campaign

Community challenge to double donations to lifesaving project

York Hospital, a leading provider of cardiovascular care in southern Maine and the Seacoast region of New Hampshire, is excited to announce that a recent grant from the Hearst Foundations is helping to propel the hospital toward its $6.4 million Leading with Heart Cardiac Campaign fundraising goal.

Although Hearst has fully funded the grant, York Hospital is committed to demonstrating community endorsement by matching these funds before we are eligible to reapply for renewed support. With more than $6.2 million raised to date (97% to goal), every donation made to the hospital’s Leading with Heart cardiac campaign will now be matched, up to $100,000.

“We are honored to receive this grant from the Hearst Foundations,” said Dr. Patrick Taylor, president and CEO of York Hospital. “As an independent nonprofit community hospital, we rely on philanthropic support to help us make important infrastructure improvements that literally save lives. Contributions from individuals and institutional funders are deeply appreciated and affirm the importance of providing local care with state-of-the-art medical equipment,” added Dr. Taylor.

Hearst Senior Program Officer Ligia Cravo traveled from New York to Maine to conduct a site visit earlier this month and shared that the mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds have the opportunity to build healthy, productive, and satisfying lives. “This project at York Hospital was compelling for a variety of reasons,” added Ms. Cravo. “The hospital’s decades-long commitment to cardiac care for their community, the support received from Maine Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, and the truly life-saving outcomes associated with this investment are what inspired our decision to dedicate funds,” explained Cravo.

In the new Petrovich Peterson Cardiac Catheterization Lab (left to right): Dr. Patrick Taylor, president & CEO
of York Hospital; Dr. Lawrence Petrovich, medical director of cardiology emeritus; David Hall, chief philanthropy officer;
Ligia Cravo, senior program officer at Hearst Foundations; and Dr. Jonathan Bridges, cardiologist.

The York Hospital Leading with Heart campaign is funding the modernization and expansion of the Petrovich Peterson Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. The lab is named in honor of Dr. Lawrence Petrovich, York Hospital’s medical director of cardiology emeritus, and the Peterson Family of York Harbor, Maine, and Fairfax, Virginia. Together, these honorees represent a legacy of expert cardiac care and steadfast community support.

In addition to private donations, the campaign received $2.5 million in federal funding secured by U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) through the fiscal year 2023 omnibus appropriations package.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide for both men and women. In Maine, it is the second leading cause of death (after cancer), underscoring the urgent need for advanced cardiovascular care. The new laboratory enables York Hospital’s cardiologists to perform a wide range of diagnostic and specialized, noninvasive interventional procedures with greater precision, speed, and safety.

For more information or to contribute to the Leading with Heart cardiac campaign, visit www.yorkhospital.com/leadingwithheart or contact David Hall, chief philanthropy officer, at (207) 351-3557 or david.hall@yorkhospital.com.

The Hearst Foundations were founded by William Randolph Hearst and are a national philanthropic resource for organizations working in the fields of culture, education, health, and social services. For more information about the Hearst Foundations, visit https://www.hearstfdn.org/about.