Generous Gift to Name Lobby of Newest Building at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

When Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion opens in 2013, its lobby will be named after businessman George W. Schaeffer, whose recent gift signifies major philanthropic support for the new building.

Schaeffer, founder, president, and CEO of OPI Products, Inc, says that Cedars-Sinai is “his neighborhood hospital of choice,” and should pursue lifesaving research and advanced medical techniques for the best care possible. He notes that, “This building will open a new gateway to the Medical Center and bring patients and research together under one roof in a way that is exciting to the hospital and beneficial to patients near and far.”

A portion of Schaeffer’s extraordinary gift comes from the George W. Schaeffer Foundation and the remainder is a bequest. “A bequest to Cedars-Sinai is my way of saying ‘thank you’ to the great doctors for the wonderful care they have provided for me and my family,” explains Schaeffer. He continues, “I am convinced of the promise of Cedars-Sinai as a leading force in medicine, and it is a privilege to express my faith in the future through this gift.”

Approximately 1,900 patients, guests, and staff will enter the Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion each day, and all of them will pass through the George W. Schaeffer Lobby on the plaza level. The 11-story, 440,000-square foot facility will offer convenient state-of-the-art outpatient care and will house Cedars-Sinai’s nationally renowned Heart Institute and neurosciences departments – all in one healing, eco-friendly building prominently located on the corner of San Vicente Boulevard and Gracie Allen Drive.

According to Thomas M. Priselac, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Health System, “While representing a significant leap forward, the Pavilion will carry on a tradition that has long defined Cedars-Sinai: Our leadership in meeting the community’s health needs and providing the best quality patient care.”

“This visionary gift from George Schaeffer demonstrates forward-thinking philanthropy. It provides the kind of critical support for novel ideas that fosters advanced medical care,” says Arthur J. Ochoa, Senior Vice President for Community Relations and Development.

The Architectural firm HOK (Hellmuth Obata Kassabaum), a leader in creating built environments for healthcare, has designed a beautiful, welcoming lobby that will balance form and function to create a sophisticated, healing environment for patients from Los Angeles and beyond.