Lawrence General Hospital has officially named its new surgical building in honor of Richard and Marilyn Santagati of Andover.
The announcement came at a ceremony held in the surgical center on October 13. When officially open in early 2017, the Santagati Center will support highly complex surgical procedures right here in the Merrimack Valley. Boasting seven spacious surgical suites – including the only hybrid operating room in the region, giving surgeons more options during surgery – the center also features specialized imaging and video capability, lighting, and air-handling technology; an onsite pathology lab; expanded space for pre- and post- surgical care; and enhanced waiting areas for families.
The Santagatis have long been actively supportive of Lawrence General. Mr. Santagati has served on the Board of Trustees for more than 25 years, including six years as its chair. The couple’s interest in the hospital’s success has made their faces familiar additions to many events and meetings, large and small. Under Mr. Santagati’s leadership, Dianne Anderson was recruited to the hospital in 2008 and the hospital’s president and CEO credits Santagati with the kind of vision and steady guidance that changes the destiny of organizations like Lawrence General.
“This is a very appropriate opportunity to honor a family that has so passionately promoted the interests of Lawrence General Hospital for decades,” says Dianne J. Anderson, RN, president and CEO of Lawrence General Hospital. “The Santagatis are Lawrence natives, who believe in this hospital and have expressed that belief over the years in so many important ways.”
In February of 2016, Richard Santagati, and his wife, Marilyn, made a lead gift, pledging $1.25 million to support a multi-year Master Facility Plan at Lawrence General Hospital that includes the construction of the new surgical center and an array of expansion, renovation, and improvement projects across the organization. The Santagati’s donation is the largest in the hospital’s history.
“We are so honored and humbled by this recognition,” says Richard Santagati, a longtime board member at Lawrence General. “The quality of life in a community is measured by some very key attributes, not the least of which is its ability to care for sick and injured citizens. Marilyn and I are proud to have been able to support this incredible community asset over the years, and to bear witness as Lawrence General has grown to serve the needs of the entire region.”
Richard Santagati was president of Merrimack College from 1994 to 2008 and currently serves on the boards of several national corporations. Santagati has also been recognized for his leadership in health care by the New England Association for Healthcare Philanthropy and the Massachusetts Hospital Association.
Additional upcoming components of the $73 million Master Facility Plan at Lawrence General slated to open in 2017 include a new surgical day care unit, central sterile processing department, and family/visitor waiting area.
