From the beginning, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford has stood out as a leading pediatric and obstetric health system. When it opened in 1991, it was one of only a few hospitals in the nation to integrate pediatrics plus labor and delivery within a children’s hospital. In San Mateo County, Packard Children’s is the primary provider of Medi-Cal-covered obstetrics because the County’s one public hospital is not equipped to offer these services.

Sand Hill Foundation’s longstanding support, totaling over $20 million, has played a vital role in ensuring that the hospital remains a leader in pediatric care and research, benefiting children and families throughout the Bay Area and far beyond. Under Susan Ford Dorsey’s leadership, the foundation has endowed both the hospital’s Surgeon-in-Chief and Obstetrician-in-Chief, as well as provided two major capital gifts. The first was for surgical suites in the Main building which opened in 2017 and the second is for the forthcoming transformation of the Atrium Garden in the main entrance. This serene space will offer a peaceful environment for families and children, promoting healing and well-being in nature.

Sand Hill Foundation was also an early supporter of allcove, a groundbreaking mental health initiative for youth and teens led by Packard Children’s, through the Wellness Partnership initiative. With locations across California and plans to expand nationally, allcove is a network of integrated mental health centers designed with, by, and for youth that reduce stigma, embrace mental wellness, and provide access to culturally responsive services.

“The idea that no child or family would be turned away for their inability to pay is at the center of the hospital’s mission,” Ford Dorsey said about her passion for the cause. “That was important at the beginning, and it continues to be important today.” Click here to see Ford Dorsey in conversation with Dr. Yasser El-Sayed, Ford Family Endowed Obstetrician-in-Chief.