Largest Gift in Organization’s History
St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children received a $20 million donation from Cindy S. Johnson. This marks the largest gift in the organization’s history and will help ensure financial stability for St. Mary’s and accelerate the launch of innovative programs, including remote services delivery. St. Mary’s has served New York’s children for more than 150 years and provides a continuum of care to children with medically complex conditions through an in-patient hospital facility in Bayside Queens, as well as home care services and community programs. St. Mary’s is New York’s largest and most experienced provider of long-term care to children with medically complex conditions and New York City’s only post-acute care facility for children.
Cindy is the Co-Chair of the Board of Directors at St. Mary’s and has served as a dedicated member of the Board for more than 20 years. She and her husband, Tod established The Cindy and Tod Johnson Center for Pediatric Feeding Disorders and have supported the launch of a range of critical initiatives. Cindy’s leadership at St. Mary’s has included spearheading efforts to bring a state-of-the-art new building to the hospital’s Bayside campus and guiding St. Mary’s through key restructuring activities and a rapidly changing healthcare landscape.
“The families of St. Mary’s will never forget this incredibly generous gift from Cindy Johnson. Her support through the years has been transformative for these children as they face and overcome tremendous obstacles,” said Dr. Edwin Simpser, President and CEO of St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children. “This donation will allow us to expand our innovative programs and continue to fund remote services delivery, which has truly saved lives during the pandemic.”
“There is simply no place like St. Mary’s,” said Cindy Johnson. “For families with medically complex children, it is a safe haven and a beacon of hope. I’m proud to be able to provide this support so the organization can help even more of New York’s children. This gift will give the talented professionals at St. Mary’s the freedom to design a better model of care for reaching those who need help the most.”
At the height of the pandemic, remote services delivery enabled children to receive therapy from their homes, but St. Mary’s needs resources to continue offering these services after the pandemic ends. Offering remote options is also key for healthcare equity because it opens doors for families who would otherwise face socioeconomic barriers to getting their children the treatment they need. More than 90 percent of St. Mary’s patients require a level of care that exceeds what their families can afford or what Medicaid will cover. Philanthropic support is essential for St. Mary’s to continue changing the lives of children and families.
