Phil and Penny Knight have pledged $1.1 billion to Providence St. Vincent Medical Center and Providence Heart Institute in Oregon. The 10-year gift will help create a new women’s hospital at the St. Vincent campus in Washington County while supporting cardiovascular treatments, diagnostic technology, research and specialist recruitment.

Key Takeaways

• Phil and Penny Knight pledged $1.1 billion to Providence St. Vincent Medical Center and Providence Heart Institute over 10 years.
• The gift will fund a new women’s hospital at the Providence St. Vincent campus in Washington County.
• Planned services include labor and delivery, neonatal intensive care, gynecology, menopause and cardiovascular care.
• Providence Heart Institute will receive funding for cardiovascular treatments, diagnostic technology, research and specialist recruitment.
• The planned women’s hospital is expected to create hundreds of clinical and non-clinical positions.

Knights Commit $1.1 Billion to Providence

Phil and Penny Knight have committed $1.1 billion to Providence St. Vincent Medical Center and Providence Heart Institute, with the funding distributed over 10 years. The first distribution from the pledge is scheduled for this year.

The gift covers two areas of health care at Providence: the planned women’s hospital at the St. Vincent campus and additional support for cardiovascular care through Providence Heart Institute.

The commitment gives Providence funding for new facilities and medical services while also supporting research, diagnostic technology and recruitment of specialists.

Providence St. Vincent Medical Center is located in Washington County and is part of Providence’s health care network in Oregon. The campus will be the site of the planned women’s hospital.

The Knight gift also extends support to Providence Heart Institute, which treats cardiovascular patients and will use funding for treatments, diagnostic technology and research.

The investment comes as other Portland-area health services face changes in their operating capacity.

Oregon Women’s Hospital Planned at St. Vincent Campus

Part of the $1.1 billion commitment will fund a new hospital dedicated to women’s health at the Providence St. Vincent campus.

The planned facility will include labor and delivery services and a neonatal intensive care unit. These services will be joined by gynecology and menopause care.

The facility is also planned to provide cardiovascular care for women. That service connects the new hospital’s women’s health focus with Providence’s separate cardiovascular work supported through the Knight gift.

Providence St. Vincent is Oregon’s oldest hospital and delivers more babies annually than any other hospital in the state. The campus therefore already provides maternity care before construction of the planned women’s hospital.

The new facility will bring additional women’s health services to the same Washington County campus. Its planned services cover maternity care, newborn intensive care, gynecology, menopause and cardiovascular care.

The hospital is part of a 10-year philanthropic commitment rather than a separate donation from the Knights. The $1.1 billion pledge covers the women’s health project along with support for Providence Heart Institute.

Women’s Health Services Will Expand Across Specialties

The planned Oregon women’s hospital will cover several medical specialties rather than focusing only on maternity services.

Labor and delivery will be among the services provided at the facility, along with neonatal intensive care. Gynecology and menopause care are also included in the plans.

Cardiovascular care is another component of the planned hospital. The Knight funding separately supports Providence Heart Institute, creating additional resources for cardiovascular treatments, diagnostic technology and research.

The combination of services places women’s health and cardiovascular care within the same philanthropic commitment. Providence’s plans include specialist recruitment as part of the funding directed toward cardiovascular care.

The services address different stages and areas of women’s health. Maternity and neonatal services will support childbirth and newborn care, while gynecology and menopause services cover other areas of women’s medical care.

The cardiovascular component adds a separate specialty area to the health care investment. Providence Heart Institute sees about 63,000 patients each year from across the Pacific Northwest, according to Providence.

That patient volume gives the cardiovascular portion of the pledge a regional reach beyond the St. Vincent campus itself. The institute’s work includes cardiovascular treatment, diagnostic services and research.

Providence Heart Institute Receives Additional Support

Providence Heart Institute will receive part of the Knight commitment for cardiovascular treatments, diagnostic technology, research and recruitment.

The institute serves patients from across the Pacific Northwest, with approximately 63,000 patients receiving care there each year.

The funding will support medical technology used for diagnosis and treatment as well as research activities. Providence also plans to use the commitment to recruit specialists.

The cardiovascular investment is separate from the physical construction of the women’s hospital, although cardiovascular care is also included among the services planned for the new facility.

The two parts of the commitment give Providence funding for both facility development and medical care. The women’s hospital will be located at St. Vincent, while the Providence Heart Institute will receive resources for its cardiovascular work.

The pledge is structured across a 10-year period, with Providence expecting the first distribution this year. The extended funding period allows the commitment to cover multiple areas of health care rather than a single one-time project.

Providence has also said the planned women’s hospital is expected to create hundreds of clinical and non-clinical positions once completed. Those positions would add employment within the health care system and at the St. Vincent campus.

Health care access has also been a subject of other Oregon reporting, including the state’s Health Plan eligibility challenges.

Gift Extends Knights’ Support for Oregon Health Care

The $1.1 billion pledge brings the Knights’ philanthropy to two major areas of Providence’s Oregon operations: women’s health and cardiovascular care.

The women’s hospital will be based at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Washington County. Its planned services include labor and delivery, neonatal intensive care, gynecology, menopause and cardiovascular care.

The Providence Heart Institute portion of the commitment will support cardiovascular treatments, diagnostic technology, research and specialist recruitment.

The planned women’s hospital is expected to create hundreds of clinical and non-clinical positions after completion. The project therefore involves both health care services and employment at the St. Vincent campus.

Providence’s existing role in Oregon maternity care also provides context for the project. St. Vincent delivers more babies each year than any other hospital in Oregon and is the state’s oldest hospital.

The Knight commitment will be distributed over 10 years, beginning with a first distribution this year. The funding will support the planned facility and the Heart Institute’s cardiovascular work under the same philanthropic pledge.

Oregon’s health care infrastructure also includes funding for facilities outside the Portland metropolitan area, including funding for rural Oregon hospitals.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much did Phil and Penny Knight pledge to Providence?

Phil and Penny Knight pledged $1.1 billion to Providence St. Vincent Medical Center and Providence Heart Institute. The commitment will be distributed over 10 years.

Where will Oregon’s new women’s hospital be located?

The planned women’s hospital will be located at the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center campus in Washington County, Oregon.

What services will the Oregon women’s hospital provide?

The planned facility will include labor and delivery, neonatal intensive care, gynecology, menopause and cardiovascular care.

What will the Knight gift fund at Providence Heart Institute?

The gift will support cardiovascular treatments, diagnostic technology, research and specialist recruitment at Providence Heart Institute.

When will Providence receive the Knight gift?

The $1.1 billion commitment is planned over 10 years, with the first distribution scheduled for this year.