Indianapolis Couple Honored for $40 Million Gift to New Wishard Hospital Facilities

Sidney and Lois Eskenazi receive top philanthropic award

Contact: Todd Harper
Phone: (317) 630-7808
Pager: (317) 310-5972

Indianapolis, May 10, 2012 -- Indianapolis couple Sidney and Lois Eskenazi have been honored as the recipient of the 2012 Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) Midwest Distinguished Philanthropist Award for their $40 million gift to the capital campaign benefitting the new Wishard hospital facilities.

"The Eskenazis' gift to Wishard is one of the greatest contributions ever to the city of Indianapolis and the field of public health in America," said Ernest Vargo II, CFRE, president and CEO of the Eskenazi Health Foundation. "There is no question that through recognition like this, the Eskenazis’ gift will continue to have a profound impact on philanthropy to public projects – including public hospitals – across the country."

The AHP is an international professional organization dedicated exclusively to developing the men and women who encourage charity in North America's health care organizations. AHP's 4,700 members represent more than 2,200 health care facilities in the United States and Canada.

The Midwest members' recognition of the contribution from Sidney and Lois Eskenazi to the Wishard Foundation, now named the Eskenazi Health Foundation, took place at a special ceremony on May 7 in Cincinnati. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi live in the Indianapolis area. Sidney Eskenazi established a successful real estate development company, Sandor Development Company, in 1963 and has built it into one of the nation’s leaders, with more than 70 properties under management in 23 states.

The historic $40 million gift provided by Sidney and Lois Eskenazi on June 22, 2011, is one of the most significant donations ever given to the people of central Indiana and is one of the largest gifts ever made to a public hospital in the United States. Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County will rename the new hospital the Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital when it opens in December 2013. The entire Wishard system will be renamed Eskenazi Health in early 2014.

The Eskenazi Health Capital Campaign has currently raised more than $72 million for the new hospital, including more than $2 million raised through employee giving. As one of the largest safety-net health systems in the United States, philanthropic gifts enhance Wishard’s ability to provide low-cost, high-quality health care to the community regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.

The Eskenazi Health Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the awareness of and raising funds to support health care initiatives that benefit the well being of Marion County residents, with a special emphasis on its most vulnerable populations. The Eskenazi Health Foundation was established in 1985 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.