Dwight Schar and his wife, Martha, are giving the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute $75 million.
Northern Virginia’s largest hospital system plans to use the donation “to grow specialty services; focus on research, outreach, prevention and early diagnosis; recruit and retain top care team talent; and promote health equity,” an Inova news release said.
“Countless lives will be transformed by this remarkable gift as it allows Inova to push the boundaries of medical research, innovation and patient care,” said J. Stephen Jones, president and CEO of Inova Health System.
The gift from the Schars, who are known for their philanthropy, is one of the nation’s largest involving heart care. The health system will rename its existing institute. It will be called the Inova Schar Heart & Vascular. Signs will be changed beginning in 2023.
“Heart and vascular diseases are the number one cause of death in the U.S.,” said Christopher O’Connor, president of Inova Schar Heart and Vascular. “This gift will allow us to increase the use of novel state-of-the-art technology and innovative platforms to deliver personalized care and to prevent disease progression.”
Dwight Schar, who founded Reston-based NVR, Inc., one of the nation’s largest home builders, is a longtime supporter of Inova.
“The investment Martha and I made to support Inova’s vision for a world-class cancer center was one of the best investments of my life,” Schar said, in a release. “We truly believe Inova provides exceptional quality of care and an exceptional patient experience and we want everyone in our community to have access to this world-class care in their own backyard.”
Inova said the Schars have given or pledged more than $126 million since 1993, including $50 million in 2015 to establish the Inova Schar Cancer Institute.
“Having the very best cancer care here in Northern Virginia has provided thousands of families facing a cancer diagnosis the ability to receive life-saving care close to home and now we’re hoping to do the same for heart health. Today we’re investing again in Inova’s vision and we know that Inova will exceed our expectations,” Schar said.
He also challenged the community. “We are also calling on the people of Northern Virginia to match our gift over the next year. We all need to invest in our community’s healthcare.”
Feature image courtesy Inova
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