Finley Foundation Donation Boosts Hospital Expansion

The Ernest L. and Ruth W. Finley Foundation has awarded $2 million to support the expansion and renovation of Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital's emergency department and regional trauma center. This makes the foundation the leading contributor to a campaign which has garnered $4.2 million in community donations to date.
In addition, the Finley Foundation has offered a challenge grant, for which the hospital would receive an additional $500,000 by raising a matching $2 million within the coming year." We are so fortunate to have this vital service close to home and we invite others in the community to join in supporting this crucial project," said Norma Person, President and Director of the Ernest L. and Ruth W. Finley Foundation, which was established by her late husband, Evert Person, one of Sonoma County's foremost philanthropists.
The Finley Foundation's gift supports Santa Rosa Memorial's $15 million expansion and renovation of the emergency department and trauma center, which broke ground in May 2012. The project will add nearly 50 percent more square footage to the North Coast region's busiest ER, which treats an average of 100 patients daily or about 36,500 individuals each year.
The expansion of the ER and trauma center, which will total just over 13,500 square feet, is scheduled to be completed in early 2014. It will feature 26 private patient rooms plus a triage room (for a total of 27 fully enclosed rooms), allowing the region's only designated Level II Trauma Center to treat more critically ill and injured patients – while more quickly caring for patients with less serious conditions. The expanded ER is designed to treat at least50,000 patients or more per year.