In a striking move of philanthropy, the McGrath Family Foundation has opened its wallet yet again, pouring $25 million into the UC San Diego Health System. The generous amount is earmarked for the new outpatient pavilion at UC San Diego Health—Hillcrest Medical Campus, which is set to open doors in 2025. According to a statement obtained by UCSD Today, this state-of-the-art facility will be dubbed the McGrath Outpatient Pavilion in honor of the foundation's donation.
The proposed structure doesn't just plan to offer top-notch medical services—it's set to completely transform the local healthcare landscape. A sprawling six-story building will host an array of specialized clinics and advanced medical equipment, aiming to drastically improve access to care in areas such as oncology and neurosurgery. Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla expressed gratitude, saying, "We are grateful to Laurie McGrath and the McGrath Family Foundation for their generous support of the McGrath Outpatient Pavilion, which will further improve and expand access to the exceptional care for which UC San Diego Health is renowned."
Linking back to the McGrath family's deep roots in San Diego's building and real estate development scene, this latest contribution continues a tradition of local development and support. However, it is not the only financial assistance the McGrath family has awarded to the healthcare sector recently. As reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune, they have also recently donated $10 million to Sharp HealthCare.
But McGrath's interest in health goes beyond just cold, hard cash. The family's matriarch, the late Carlee McGrath, had personally experienced the critical role of medical institutions following a severe stroke. Involvement with UC San Diego Health, Sharp, and Stanford Health in her care has shaped the family's giving priorities. "It was a humbling experience, and it opened our eyes to the importance of the medical community," Laurie McGrath told the San Diego Union-Tribune. The outpatient pavilion represents only the first phase in a sweeping redevelopment plan for the 62-acre medical campus that promises to reinvent healthcare service delivery in the region.
UC San Diego Health is not taking this contribution lightly; this massive overhaul, estimated to cost over $3 billion, will include a multitude of new capabilities, retaining all of the critical care services that have defined its decades-long commitment to the community. From a Level 1 Trauma Center to a Regional Burn Center and a bustling Emergency Department, UCSD's healthcare delivery seems poised to level up in a major way, significantly bolstered by the McGrath family's philanthropy.
