​​Newport Beach, Calif. (April 24, 2013) —In a major gift that underscores the pivotal role nurses​ play in quality patient care, the Argyros Family Foundation has made a $2.5 million donation to expand educational nursing initiatives at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, the hospital announced today.

Nationally known philanthropists George and Julia Argyros will formally present the gift on the Foundation’s behalf at Hoag Hospital Newport Beach’s annual Nurses Day event on Thursday, May 2 at 12 p.m.

“My sister, Connie Jones, was a nurse for over 40 years. I saw how hard she worked, how dedicated she was to nursing and how important it was to her that her patients receive the best care,” Julia Argyros said. “Of course doctors deserve and should receive recognition for their contributions to healing. But in the end, it is often the nursing care that patients talk about the most.”

“This remarkable gift is another example of why the Argyros Family Foundation name is synonymous with compassion and generosity,” said Flynn A. Andrizzi, Ph.D., President, Hoag Hospital Foundation and Senior Vice President, Hoag. “Through their unmatched history of philanthropy on Hoag’s behalf, Ambassador Argyros and his wife Julia have shown that true leaders lead with their hearts.”

“Ongoing, quality nursing education that equips nurses with the latest knowledge has been proven to result in improved patient care and recovery,” Hoag President and CEO Robert Braithwaite said. “The new educational and professional growth opportunities that the Argyros Family Foundation gift will make possible will positively impact our nursing program across all specialties – and our patients and the community will benefit most of all.”

Julia Argyros said the purpose of the gift is to ensure that financial resources are available to enable Hoag to deepen nurses’ education and skills in all fields. “We want to provide Hoag nurses all the necessary tools to enable them to be the very best,” she said. “When people speak about Hoag, we want them to say the nurses they encountered while there were the kindest, most professional, dedicated and caring nurses they have ever encountered.”

The funds will be used for a wide range of educational nursing initiatives at Hoag.

About Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian

Hoag is an approximately $1 billion nonprofit, regional health care delivery network in Orange County, California, that treats nearly 30,000 inpatients and 350,000 outpatients annually. Hoag consists of two acute-care hospitals, seven health centers, and five urgent care centers. Hoag Hospital Newport Beach, which has served Orange County since 1952, and Hoag Hospital Irvine, which opened in 2010, are designated Magnet hospitals by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Hoag offers a comprehensive blend of health care services that includes five institutes providing specialized services in the following areas: cancer, heart and vascular, neurosciences, women’s health, and orthopedics through Hoag’s affiliate, Hoag Orthopedic Institute. Hoag has been named one of the Best Regional Hospitals in the U.S. News & World Report Metro Edition. National Research Corporation has endorsed Hoag as Orange County’s most preferred hospital for the past 16 consecutive years and, for an unprecedented 16 years, residents of Orange County have chosen Hoag as the county’s best hospital in a local newspaper survey. Visit www.hoag.org for more information.

About the Hoag Hospital Foundation

Thanks in large part to philanthropy, Hoag has become one of the nation’s finest healthcare systems and serves a diverse and growing population. Hoag Hospital Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Hoag (a separate 501(c)(3) corporation), is an integral partner in Hoag’s vision to become a trusted and nationally recognized healthcare leader. Under the direction of a volunteer Board of Directors, the Foundation conducts campaigns and programs that generate more than $40 million per year in gifts and pledges. The Foundation is currently in the planning phase of a campaign with a working goal of $500 million by 2020. Foundation fundraising priorities are based on Hoag’s priorities and include:

• Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center
• Hoag Family Cancer Institute
• Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute
• Hoag Heart & Vascular Institute
• Hoag Orthopedic Institute
• Hoag Women’s Health Institute
• Hoag Hospital Newport Beach
• Hoag Hospital Irvine
• Choose Nursing, Choose Hoag

Please visit www.HoagHospitalFoundation.org.