Foundational $1.2M Gift Expands Healthcare, Access in Central Valley

MODESTO, Calif. - The Antone & Marie Raymus Foundation has awarded Sutter Health more than $1.2 million in support of driving healthcare innovation and transforming care across Central Valley communities. Since 2020, the Raymus Foundation has contributed more than $5.7 million to Sutter Health.

"Sutter Health is honored to be the largest beneficiary of Raymus Foundation gifts, enabling us to expand and enhance care to thousands of residents from Lodi to Los Banos," says Gino Patrizio, president of Sutter Health's Greater Central Valley. "Their visionary investments strengthen our position as a leading healthcare system in the region and have greatly impacted the communities we serve."

The 2024 foundation gift supports high-risk antepartum suites at Sutter Memorial Medical Center, providing extended care for maternity patients who require longer hospital stays prior to delivery and special equipment to safely move babies between the labor and delivery and the neonatal intensive care unit. It will also fund an advanced spine robot for Sutter Tracy Community Hospital's growing orthopedic service line and non-stress test bays for comprehensive pre-natal monitoring at Sutter Gould Medical Foundation allowing the Women's Center in Modesto and clinics in Stockton and Turlock to expand services. Previous gifts have supported Sutter Memorial's move toward level III NICU status, and the region's first maternal-fetal medicine specialists.

The Raymus Foundation has also supported heart and vascular care, labor and delivery, respiratory services, neurosurgery advancements, radiation oncology, cancer therapy programs and breast health imaging and care. A 2021 gift funded a brain microscope for intricate surgeries and gamma tile radiation implantation for brain cancer patients. Additionally, a new CT scanner was acquired to enhance cancer treatment.

Raymus Foundation Is Committed to Local Communities

Providing local residents with access to quality healthcare is a key priority for the Raymus Foundation. Over the years, their generous support has significantly impacted two Sutter Health service lines - cancer care and women's and children's health.

Established in 1989 by Antone and Marie Raymus, the eponymous foundation has focused on uplifting Central Valley communities through targeted philanthropic investments. Led by its board and Foundation Director Alex Sugar, the foundation is Sutter's largest donor in the Central Valley, significantly enhancing healthcare for residents in Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties.

"During a visit to Sutter Tracy Community Hospital, dozens of staff members thanked us for supporting their labor and delivery department," Sugar recalls. "I thought, 'Why are you thanking us? You're the ones making a difference.' It was truly a rewarding experience."

Physicians and staff are energized by the partnership with the Raymus Foundation working creatively to elevate the vision of Sutter Health in the region.

"One of the greatest joys in partnering with Alex and the Antone & Marie Raymus Foundation Board is seeing innovative ideas come to life. We are deeply grateful for their commitment to improving the wellbeing of our community," says Jana Rhine, director of philanthropy at Sutter Memorial Hospital Foundation.

To learn more about how you can help build the future of healthcare in your community, please contact Jana Rhine at (209) 613-8264 or [email protected], or visit sutterhealth.org/giving.