Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica has landed a $100 million estate gift from the late Stan Lucas, a windfall the hospital calls its largest donation to date. The money, not exactly pocket change, will support prostate cancer research, expand clinical programs and establish the Stanley H. Lucas Endowed Chair in Urology.
According to the Los Angeles Business Journal, Lucas named the Saint John's Health Center Foundation a primary beneficiary of his estate and directed the funds specifically toward urologic oncology. In a statement, Sheryl Bourgeois, president and CEO of the foundation, called it "the purest form of philanthropy."
The gift comes from the Stan Lucas Trust. Lucas, a UC Berkeley trained engineer, founded Lucas Automotive Engineering and built a reputation producing parts for Ford along with specialty tires for antique vehicles, according to the hospital's announcement. Estate trustees created the endowed chair to recognize his relationship with the care team that treated him for prostate cancer before his death in 2025. Providence Saint John's Health Center laid out the size of the gift and the trustees overseeing it.
What the Gift Will Fund
The foundation says the endowment will underwrite urologic oncology research, strengthen diagnostics and prevention programs, and help support clinical trials that move new therapies closer to patients. Michael Ricks, chief executive of Providence L.A. Coastal Service Area, said in the hospital's statement, "We are profoundly honored by the confidence he placed in us and committed to stewarding his legacy with purpose and integrity." The announcement describes the gift as a long term investment meant to speed up improvements in screening and treatment so they reach community care faster. Providence Saint John's Health Center outlines the initial priorities for how those dollars will be put to work.
Why It Matters
Prostate cancer remains one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in U.S. men. SEER / National Cancer Institute data projects about 313,780 new prostate cancer cases in 2025, roughly 15.4% of all new cancers, and about 35,770 deaths, or around 5.8% of cancer deaths. The rate of new cases is about 120 per 100,000 men, and more than 3.5 million American men were living with prostate cancer in 2022, a reminder of why investments in detection and treatment are still a front burner issue. The SEER / National Cancer Institute database provides those nationwide figures.
Saint John's has been quietly building its research and philanthropy muscle for years. An investiture ceremony in September 2025 honored multiple endowed chairs that already support oncology and surgical specialties. Local coverage noted that the Stanley H. Lucas Endowed Chair in Urology was part of that push and identified Leslie M. Kaplan, M.D., among its early recipients. The Santa Monica Daily Press highlighted the hospital's strategy of pairing donor dollars with clinical leadership.
Hospital and foundation leaders say they plan to steward the Lucas gift in tandem with clinicians and community stakeholders, with an eye on turning research investments into earlier diagnosis and more treatment options for West Los Angeles patients. Trustees and foundation officials are expected to spell out specific programs and timelines in the months ahead as the health center works to translate the estate gift into on the ground clinical impact.
