June 9, 2008

Leni Fe Bland Awards $1 Million to
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation

Montecito philanthropist Leni Fe Bland has committed $1 million to support the Campaign to help fund the rebuilding of Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.  
          
Ms. Fe Bland is well-known for her dedicated civic leadership and her generous support of many not-for-profit organizations. She has received numerous honors over the years, including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998 from the News-Press, and the Woman of the Year Award in 2005 from the Santa Barbara Foundation and KEYT.
          
 “Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital serves a vital role in our region by providing excellent medical care to people when they need it most,” Ms. Fe Bland said. “Now the hospital needs the support of the community, and I’m happy to do my part.”
          

“We are extremely grateful for the generous gift from Ms. Fe Bland to help rebuild Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital,” said Ron Werft, president and chief executive officer of Cottage Health System based in Santa Barbara. “Ms. Fe Bland’s passion and dedication to not-for-profit organizations is truly an inspiration to all of us. We are honored to have her support.”
          
All three Cottage facilities in Santa Barbara, Goleta and the Santa Ynez Valley must undergo seismic upgrading to meet California’s mandated requirements for all acute-care hospitals in the state. However, no local, state or federal funds are available to fund the projects.

Cottage Health System has a goal to raise $100 million in funds through the community’s support to rebuild Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, which is estimated to cost more than $700 million to complete. The first two patient pavilions of the new hospital and the new Diagnostic and Treatment Center are expected to open in 2011.

About Cottage Health System

The not-for-profit Cottage Health System -- the parent organization of Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital (with its associated Cottage Children’s Hospital and Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital), Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital, and Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital -- is guided by a 20-member volunteer board of directors from the greater-Santa Barbara community.  

Last year, the Cottage hospitals provided inpatient care for 21,000 people, treated 63,000 patients through their 24-hour emergency departments and helped deliver 2,800 newborns.