Golisano Offers $5 Million Challenge Grant

Paul Hiltz, President/CEO, FACHE

I am excited to announce that Tom Golisano, founder of Paychex and local philanthropist best known for championing children’s causes like the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples and Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, has announced a $5 million match grant to the R.M. Schulze Family Cardiovascular and Stroke Critical Care Center at NCH – home to the NCH Rooney Heart Institute and NCH Wingard Stroke Institute.

The facility will serve as a premier destination for comprehensive cardiovascular and stroke care in the region, providing advanced treatment options and cutting-edge research opportunities.

With cardiovascular disease and stroke ranking among the leading causes of death in the United States, the new heart, vascular and stroke center at NCH will provide vital resources and support for patients and their families. Plans for the new facility include four neuro-interventional radiology suites near our outpatient clinic and new neurovascular intensive care unit. Our neuro-interventional team will treat emergent and non-emergent forms of cerebrovascular disease, including acute stroke of any type, cerebral aneurysms, carotid artery disease, and other serious conditions affecting the brain and spinal cord, faster than everbefore.

The $5 million match grant from Golisano represents a significant investment in the health of the Naples community and will be matched by other community leaders, doubling the impact of their generosity. Golisano’s gift will ensure that the new facility can provide the highest quality care and remain at the forefront of medical advances for years to come.

The Golisano gift will provide for new-to-market and multimodality technology allowing NCH to be a destination for physicians from around the world to proctor and learn on new equipment. These new suites also open the door for clinical research trials, including first-in-human interventions and research publication opportunities. Access to novel treatments and solutions not only helps patients, but also helps retain and attract innovative clinicians. NCH will name two of these new interventional radiology suites after Golisano in recognition of this gift.

We are incredibly grateful for Tom Golisano’s generosity and leadership in supporting NCH heart, vascular and stroke initiatives. This gift will allow us to accelerate the development of this critical resource for our community and will inspire others to join us in this important effort.”

Construction of the new facility that will stand where the Telford Building is located today, is projected to break ground later this year/early 2024 following city approval of the project. The facility is expected to serve thousands of patients each year, providing life-saving care and innovative research opportunities.

For information about the planned facility for cardiac and stroke care, or to learn more on how you can support NCH, visit https://nchmd.org/critical-care/.