Elizabeth and Bruce Dunlevie have given an $80 million gift to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and the Stanford University School of Medicine. The money will go towards launching a research program that officials say will transform the health of mothers and babies.
It's a big gift that will make a big difference as the check aims to advance both the science and the practice put into the study of maternal-fetal medicine. It will also be used to provide funding for new facilities, in an effort to give more access to proper care.
Bruce Dunlevie is a venture capital veteran with over two decades of high-tech investment experience. Since 1995, he has been a General Partner of venture capital firm, Benchmark. While he holds a bachelor's degree in History and English from Rice University, he received his M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Now, he is giving back to the institution that has given him so much.
“Our family has been fortunate to live and work in Silicon Valley and in close proximity to Stanford for several decades, and we’ve been grateful beneficiaries of the excellent care delivered by Packard Children’s Hospital more than once,” Bruce explained to Stanford Medicine News Center. “Knowing from personal experience how transformative world-class medical treatment can be for mothers and babies, we’re thrilled to help advance the state of the art in medical science for maternal-fetal research, and to give every mother and baby the highest-quality medical care.”
Lucile Salter was the vision behind the creation of Packard Children’s Hospital. She is known for her belief that caring for expectant mothers and babies together is the most important aspect of prenatal health. Since it's opening in 1991, the hospital has seen the birth of over 100,000 babies.
Packard Children’s Hospital opened their new Main Building in 2017 and today, it hosts most of their pediatric patients. The Dunlevies’ gift has allowed those in charge to go forward with plans to transform the hospital's first floor. Going forward, work will start on a new state-of-the-art labor and delivery unit, complete with 14 private rooms. For moms-to-be who may require pre-delivery hospitalization, the building will also create a dedicated maternity antepartum section.
The additional $30 million donated by the Dunlevies will be used to further develop a top-notch maternal-fetal medicine program at the Stanford School of Medicine. While the hospital currently treats a wide array of fetal disorders, nearly two out of three expectant mothers at Packard Children’s Hospital are high-risk. This new approach will allow the facility to do more for patients with conditions such as heart disease, cancer, epilepsy and diabetes, and other issues, including preterm labor, placenta accreta, hemorrhage, and cesarean-delivery prevention.
Marc Tessier-Lavigne, president of Stanford University couldn't help but sing the praises of the couple who have done so much good with their gesture.
“We are so fortunate to have Elizabeth and Bruce as long-standing champions of Stanford University, Stanford Medicine and Packard Children’s Hospital,” he said. “Their wisdom and hard work are invaluable to advancing our shared missions to improve human health. In these deeply challenging times, the Dunlevies’ philanthropy provides welcome hope for the well-being of current and future generations. We are immensely grateful.”
Sources: Support Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford Medicine News Center, Crunchbase