Janelle Irwin Taylor
The DeBartolo family donated $2.5 million to Tampa General Hospital this week to help fund a new COVID-19 care unit to add capacity and dedicated space to manage the ongoing pandemic.
Former San Francisco 49ers owner and real estate magnate Eddie DeBartolo and his wife, Candy, have donated a total of $7.65 million to Tampa General Hospital over the past five months.
The new COVID-19 unit will be used to diagnose and treat individuals with or suspected to be infected with the novel coronavirus. The donated funds will help pay for construction and equipment, including negative pressure isolation rooms and ventilators.
The hospital has not yet set a timeline for opening the new unit.
Currently the hospital is using an isolation area in its emergency department to screen potential COVID-19 patients as well as an alternate care site that offers outdoor triage and two dedicated COVID-19 units within the hospital.
“It is critical that, in times of need, our community members with the means to do so find ways to give back and support our first responders who are on the front lines of this battle. I have been so encouraged by the outpouring of love from our community and wanted to do something to honor these health care heroes,” DeBartolo said.
The Family also donated $150,000 to the TGH Team Member Emergency Fund, which is a special fund designated to help team members in crisis who cannot afford to pay bills such as mortgage or rent, utilities or car payments due to the inability to work.
“It means so much to Tampa General Hospital to see the good that can come from our community during this time of crisis. Our team members, physicians and patients – and our entire community – will benefit for many years from this generous gift,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital.
The DeBartolos have been longtime supporters of Tampa General Hospital. In December, the family donated $5M.
“The TGH Foundation is so grateful to the DeBartolo family for their generosity over the years,” said Frann Richards, Chief Development Officer for the Tampa General Hospital Foundation. “Their investment in Tampa General Hospital will do so many wonderful things for the community.
DeBartolo was involved in a 1998 scandal in which he was charged with failing to disclose a felony in a bribery case. President Donald Trump pardoned him last month citing the former NFL franchise owner’s record of good deeds. DeBartolo’s daughter, Nikki DeBartolo, is married to Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister.
