Saddleback Memorial Foundation

Mission Statement for MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center
To improve the health and well-being of individuals, families and our communities through innovation and the pursuit of excellence.

Mission Statement for MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center Foundation
To develop philanthropic resources to strengthen Saddleback Medical Center's ability to improve the health and well-being of individuals, families and our communities.

Fifty years ago, a newly formed retirement community (known today as Laguna Woods) realized it needed a hospital to serve its growing population. Land was donated, residents went door-to-door collecting money, and local physicians contributed equipment and time. Through this community partnership, the medical center admitted its first patient in 1974.

Today MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center Foundation continues to partner with generous individuals, corporations and foundations from throughout the community to raise support for MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center.

Saddleback Medical Center’s mission to improve the health and well-being of individuals, families and our communities is evident in the high-quality, compassionate patient care provided by our team of first-rate physicians, nurses, and technicians. Since opening in 1974, Saddleback Medical Center has centered our inpatient and outpatient services on the needs of the community – from nearby growing family communities to the adjacent retirement community of Laguna Woods, where the median age of the over 17,000 residents is 75.

Saddleback Medical Center, a nonprofit 232-bed hospital that is a member of MemorialCare – a not-for-profit, integrated health care delivery system – provides exceptional medical expertise across a range of treatment areas including cancer, stroke, and cardiac care. A Magnet-designated hospital (the highest recognition of nursing excellence), Saddleback Medical Center utilizes innovations like robotic surgery, low dose CT, dedicated breast MRI, and minimally invasive cardiovascular procedures such as TAVR, TCAR, the Watchman and MitraClip. Saddleback Medical Center has named among Healthgrades America's 250 Best Hospitals and the Top 50 U.S. Cardiovascular Hospitals.

The Women’s Hospital at Saddleback Medical Center is the birthplace of nearly 77,000 babies and offers new mothers and their babies personalized care from exceptional physicians and nurses, an advanced Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a dedicated obstetrics emergency department, and spacious, private birthing suites. Our Women's Hospital has been named a Best Maternity Hospital by Newsweek multiple times.

In addition, Saddleback Medical Center is a certified geriatric ED Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center and holds Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation. Currently, Saddleback is building the first-of-its-kind Women’s Health Pavilion bringing women’s specialty care under one roof, scheduled to be completed in 2024.

Saddleback Medical Center cares for all patients regardless of their ability to pay. The actual payments the hospital receives from Medicare and private insurance cover only a portion of the amounts billed and do not cover all costs. And unlike for-profit hospitals that answer to investors, our nonprofit medical center re-invests extra revenue back into Saddleback Medical Center to provide better patient care for the community we serve.

Philanthropic contributions enable our nonprofit medical center to acquire new life-saving technology and equipment, support nursing education to expand skills in patient care, elevate services like patient navigation, and make facility enhancements or construct new health care facilities.

We welcome gifts at all levels in a variety of ways, including cash donations, pledges, gifts from an IRA or donor-advised fund, appreciated assets such as stock or real estate, and trusts or other planned gifts.

In 2023, MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center Foundation raised funds for all areas of patient care at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center, including cardiac services, cancer services, and critical care. With generous philanthropic gifts from our community, we were able to assist over 2,000 cancer, cardiac and spine patients with nurse navigation services, provide complimentary professional support through our Mommy & Me classes for moms with newborns, and care for nearly 23,000 patients over the age of 55 in our Myrtle Dermody Emergency Care Center, an accredited geriatric emergency department. Donations also funded certifications for our nurses, enabling them to provide better care for our patients, and complimentary classes for seniors in our community, who learned about health care resources and topics such as mindfulness, brain health, stroke, and joint health.

In 2022, Saddleback Medical Center Foundation raised funds for our new Women's Health Pavilion, including a $2.5 million gift by sisters Sarah and Taylor Nederlander for the Breast Center in the Women's Health Pavilion, which opened in Fall 2023 as the Sarah & Taylor Nederlander Breast Center. The integrated breast center is the largest in Southern California, enabling us to double the number of patients we serve. In this 20,000-square-foot space, we offer the services of fellowship-trained dedicated breast radiologists who only read breast images, the most advanced screening technology for diagnosis and treatment, breast surgical oncologists, breast care navigators, and genetic counselors — all in one easy-to-access space.

In 2022, Saddleback Medical Center Foundation also awarded more than $79,000 in scholarships to 21 Saddleback Medical Center employees attaining higher education degrees, many of whom are nurses earning bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees. Enabling clinical staff to achieve their educational goals elevates the patient care at our hospital, as well as helps us maintain Magnet status, the most prestigious recognition in the nursing industry.

In 2021, contributions to Saddleback Medical Center Foundation by generous donors provided impactful support to vital Saddleback Medical Center programs. Philanthropic gifts helped fund patient navigators for cardiology, breast cancer and lung cancer, nursing scholarships and education, specialized care for senior patients, and advanced technology and equipment.

In 2020, community members gave more than $85,000 for our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. The funds enabled Saddleback Medical Center to ensure we had ample personal protective equipment (PPE) to safely care for our patients during the pandemic. The funds also supported frontline staff with childcare costs as they worked longer hours to care for patients when the pandemic strained our workforce.

In addition, in 2020 Saddleback Medical Center Foundation raised more than $1M for a Cath Lab renovation and expansion project, which included purchasing the latest equipment and technology to serve the growing need for minimally invasive cardiovascular procedures.

1. Women's Health Pavilion
MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center is developing a bold new concept in women’s health care to elevate the patient experience and position us to meet the growing needs of our community — the Women's Health Pavilion. This modern new building, scheduled to be completed in 2024, is already providing convenient access to a range of women’s health services, where patients know that we will be there for them in their pursuit of wellness, and if necessary, carry them through their health care journey. This flagship location will spotlight modern construction that incorporates sustainable materials, easy parking and an outdoor garden area for rest and respite — all designed as a haven for comfort and calm. Opening in phases beginning in fall 2023, this new, 40,000-square-foot medical facility will enable Saddleback Medical Center to increase our capacity to serve more women in our community.

Within the Women’s Health Pavilion, the new Sarah & Taylor Nederlander Breast Center is now open, occupying 20,000 square feet on the first floor for easy access and centralized care by our team of breast care specialists, in a beautiful, spa-like environment. The Nederlander Breast Center is building on our already stellar reputation for timely diagnosis and advanced treatments with new state-of-the-art diagnostic and imaging equipment to provide enhanced images for earlier cancer detection and improved biopsy procedures, and provides breast cancer navigation, genetic counseling, education and resources.

2. Women's Health Concierge
In the new Women’s Health Pavilion will be a Women’s Health Concierge funded by philanthropy. This unique role has been created so women have an expert resource to call when they just don’t know where to turn.

An experienced health care professional will answer questions, make referrals to specialty care, and essentially help women reach the next step to address their health issues. This unique service will be provided free of charge to enhance women’s access to the type of care they need for their individual health and well-being.

3. Nursing Education
As a Magnet-designated hospital, Saddleback Medical Center is committed to providing specialty certification and training to expand the skills and knowledge of its nursing staff, which enables us to serve our patients with better care.

Additionally, providing scholarships for nurses to pursue higher levels of education removes financial barriers for these frontline heroes, allowing a higher percentage of RNs to obtain their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees or other advanced nursing degrees. Private gifts can support nursing scholarships, specialty certification, and other nursing educational programs to benefit our patients.

4. Patient Navigator Program
After a medical diagnosis, patients can often become overwhelmed about what to do next. Patient navigators provide a multitude of vital services for patients and their loved ones. They can help families understand the diagnosis, weigh treatment options, guide them through insurance questions, and even help coordinate care with physicians and specialists. Patients may be required to see multiple physicians during their treatment journey. Navigators help coordinate and tie the care together, taking the burden off the patient and the family.

A nurse navigator can also provide resources and recommendations that patients may not be aware of, empowering patients and their families to problem-solve through the complexities of their health care journey.

Saddleback Medical Center does not receive reimbursement from insurance companies for patient navigation services. Private gifts from generous donors help fund additional navigator positions across our services lines to support our patients with "next-level" personalized care.

5. Age-Friendly HELP Program
As an official Age-Friendly Hospital designated by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Saddleback Medical Center has implemented a Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP). This is a well-researched, innovative and effective model of care designed to prevent hospitalized patients from developing delirium, a common yet often unrecognized change in mental state that can lead to cognitive and functional decline, prolonged hospitalization, and death. Patients aged 65 years and older are at the highest risk of developing delirium.

Our HELP program features trained nursing students and volunteers who are taught how to recognize symptoms of delirium, and how to provide comforting companionship for elderly patients while working with them on delirium-preventing interventions. Volunteers bring with them to each patient visit a toolkit of materials that help promote relaxation, mobility, cognitive orientation and sleep, such as sleep masks and ear plugs, exercise bands and balls, and healing journals. Donations toward HELP allow us to restock these essential supplies, for which there is an ongoing need.

More than 50 years ago, residents of the retirement community known then as Leisure World (now known as the city of Laguna Woods) raised funds to build this community hospital. Today MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center serves south Orange County, from Irvine to San Clemente, including the following cities, as well as unincorporated areas: Aliso Viejo, Coto de Caza, Dana Point, Foothill Ranch, Irvine, Ladera Ranch, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Las Flores, Mission Viejo, Portola Hills, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.

I'm excited about the future of MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center because we are making exceptional, leading-edge care more accessible to our community. With the new Women's Health Pavilion scheduled to be completed this year, we are poised to embark on a new era for women's health care. We have opened an Obstetrical Emergency Department, the only one of its kind in south Orange County, and we have renovated our birthing suites to provide the utmost comfort for moms and babies during their stay. In 2024 we were named one of the 250 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades for the second year in a row.

We have received multiple awards by U.S. News & World Report across several service lines. We also received renewal of our nursing Magnet designation, the most prestigious in the nursing industry, only given to 9% of hospitals in the United States. We continue to pioneer minimally invasive cardiovascular procedures and focus on medical issues that affect seniors, allowing our Emergency Department to receive Geriatric Accreditation.

As Chair, I will continue to support the initiatives that fulfill our mission, as well as generate enthusiasm and support from the community. We hope to spread the word about the good work happening at Saddleback Medical Center to develop more pathways for philanthropy.

Saddleback Medical Center Foundation’s sole purpose is to raise funds for MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center; thus, the Foundation fulfills the requests presented by hospital administration in support of patient needs. Saddleback Medical Center is an innovative, high-quality, forward-thinking hospital. The hospital is always focused on providing the best medical expertise and care in a warm, compassionate environment for patients and their families.

Matt Kimmel
Chair, Board of Directors
MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center Foundation