This week’s Weekly Heartbeat is headlined by two landmark $75 million commitments: one directed by Tom Golisano to create a first-of-its-kind comprehensive campus for individuals with IDD in Rochester, and another from the Eccles Foundation to anchor the University of Utah’s new West Valley health campus. Other major gifts include a $6.5 million gift to UT Health San Antonio to strengthen the pediatric workforce, a $2 million pledge to Inova Alexandria Hospital, a $1.3 million donation to the UNM Foundation for dermatology access, and the launch of AWS’s new Amazon Connect Health AI solution.
AWS Launches Amazon Connect Health to Streamline Clinical Administration
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced Amazon Connect Health, a new purpose-built agentic AI solution designed to handle high-volume administrative tasks across the healthcare continuum. Integrating directly into existing electronic health record (EHR) workflows, the platform automates repetitive duties such as 24/7 appointment scheduling, ambient clinical documentation, and medical coding. The solution also prioritizes safety and trust through full source traceability, ensuring every patient insight, clinical note, and billing code can be instantly verified against underlying evidence. Read more here.
$75M to Create Comprehensive Campus for Individuals with IDD
Philanthropist Tom Golisano has directed a historic $75 million commitment to create a first-of-its-kind comprehensive campus for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). By converging previous landmark gifts of $50 million to the University of Rochester and $25 million to the Mary Cariola Center, the visionary project will co-locate the new Mary Cariola Center School and the University of Rochester Golisano IDD Institute. This innovative, shared campus is designed to break down operational silos, fostering daily collaboration among educators, clinicians, researchers, and families to strengthen education, clinical care, and workforce training for individuals with complex disabilities. Read more here.
$75M to University of Utah for Historic West Valley Health Campus
The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation has made a landmark $75 million gift to the University of Utah to establish a new 800,000-square-foot hospital and medical campus in West Valley City. Marking the university’s first off-campus hospital in its 175-year history, the new state-of-the-art facility will serve as the anchor for an innovative $855 million initiative aimed at expanding healthcare access, education, and economic development. The new campus will bring critical, world-class medical care closer to home for Westside communities that have historically faced significant health disparities. Read more here.
$2M to Inova Alexandria Hospital for New Landmark Campus
The Twig, an all-volunteer Junior Auxiliary of Inova Alexandria Hospital, has pledged $2 million to support the health system’s new medical campus at the former Landmark Mall site. In recognition of this generous commitment, the new hospital’s conference center will be named in the group’s honor. The funds will help ensure the next generation of patients benefits from world-class facilities, including private patient rooms, an expanded emergency room, and a comprehensive cancer center slated to open in 2028. Read more here.
$6.5M to UT Health San Antonio to Strengthen Pediatric Workforce
San Antonio philanthropist Harvey E. Najim has gifted $6.5 million to UT Health San Antonio to establish the Harvey E. Najim Pediatric Health Scholars Program. The transformational donation will support education and advanced training for 36 pediatric dental residents, 24 pediatric medical subspecialists, and 32 pediatric nurse practitioners. By easing financial barriers during critical training years, the program aims to attract and retain exceptional healthcare talent, expand the pipeline of highly trained clinicians, and increase access to high-quality pediatric specialty care for children and families across San Antonio and South Texas. Read more here.
$1.3M to UNM Foundation to Expand Dermatology Access
Jim and Ellen King have pledged $1.3 million to the UNM Foundation to expand access to dermatologic care across New Mexico. Marking the largest gift in the history of the The University of New Mexico School of Medicine‘s Department of Dermatology, the donation aims to address a severe statewide shortage of specialists. Inspired by Ellen’s personal experience surviving melanoma, the funds will be used to double the department’s teaching clinical faculty, enhance recruitment and retention efforts, and establish a new clinical research fellowship. Read more here.
