A local family and company with a long history of philanthropy were honored Thursday for their commitment to improving health care in the region.
The Rochester General Health System announced the naming of the Rochester General Hospital Sands-Constellation Heart Institute. The renaming of the Rochester Heart Institute is in recognition of a $4 million gift to the health system, $2 million from Constellation Brands, Inc., and $2 million from the Sands family.
The gift is the first toward the Rochester General Health System’s Transforming Care campaign, which will officially launch at this year’s Founders Society Gala on Oct. 6. The campaign will address numerous areas, including oncology, patient safety, senior services and dialysis.
“Being involved in a big company, a big corporation in our area, we believe that creates a responsibility to give back to the community,” said Rob Sands, president and chief executive officer of Constellation Brands. “The company and my family have always been involved in the community.”
An interest in improving healthcare
The renaming of the heart institute is reflective of a history of support from Constellation Brands and the Sands family for the Rochester General Health System.
Sands, of Pittsford and Canandaigua, joined the board of The Genesee Hospital in 1997, before joining the Rochester General Hospital Board in 1999. With the establishment of ViaHealth, he served on the new system board, including as chairman from 2002 to 2008. He continues to serve on the board.
“Our family has been very involved in health care,” said Sands, including his father, Marvin, who had served as chairman of F. F. Thompson Health Systems. “I thought it was an interesting thing to do, and became more and more involved. I think the hospital is an important community resource. Supporting our hospitals is one of the most important things we can do.”
Sands said he was interested in learning how the health system operates and also wanted to offer his knowledge as the president and CEO of the world’s leading premium wine company.
“It’s very complex, how health care is delivered, the economy of health care,” he said. “It’s something I found to be both educational and something I would be able to lend my expertise to.”
He said the quality of health care in the Rochester area has improved and continues to improve, and so does the technology. But financially, he said, “it’s a lot more difficult for hospitals to support all the things they need to do.”
A local family and company with a long history of philanthropy were honored Thursday for their commitment to improving health care in the region.
The Rochester General Health System announced the naming of the Rochester General Hospital Sands-Constellation Heart Institute. The renaming of the Rochester Heart Institute is in recognition of a $4 million gift to the health system, $2 million from Constellation Brands, Inc., and $2 million from the Sands family.
The gift is the first toward the Rochester General Health System’s Transforming Care campaign, which will officially launch at this year’s Founders Society Gala on Oct. 6. The campaign will address numerous areas, including oncology, patient safety, senior services and dialysis.
“Being involved in a big company, a big corporation in our area, we believe that creates a responsibility to give back to the community,” said Rob Sands, president and chief executive officer of Constellation Brands. “The company and my family have always been involved in the community.”
An interest in improving healthcare
The renaming of the heart institute is reflective of a history of support from Constellation Brands and the Sands family for the Rochester General Health System.
Sands, of Pittsford and Canandaigua, joined the board of The Genesee Hospital in 1997, before joining the Rochester General Hospital Board in 1999. With the establishment of ViaHealth, he served on the new system board, including as chairman from 2002 to 2008. He continues to serve on the board.
“Our family has been very involved in health care,” said Sands, including his father, Marvin, who had served as chairman of F. F. Thompson Health Systems. “I thought it was an interesting thing to do, and became more and more involved. I think the hospital is an important community resource. Supporting our hospitals is one of the most important things we can do.”
Sands said he was interested in learning how the health system operates and also wanted to offer his knowledge as the president and CEO of the world’s leading premium wine company.
“It’s very complex, how health care is delivered, the economy of health care,” he said. “It’s something I found to be both educational and something I would be able to lend my expertise to.”
He said the quality of health care in the Rochester area has improved and continues to improve, and so does the technology. But financially, he said, “it’s a lot more difficult for hospitals to support all the things they need to do.”
“As we move into the future, he said, “there’s a lot of uncertainty.”
“A nice marriage”
The $4 million gift isn’t the first monetary commitment the Sands family has given to the health system.
A previous donation of $2 million for a previous capital campaign went toward the Sands Family Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit at Rochester General Hospital.
Seeing the results of the family’s dedication to the health system has been particularly enjoyable, said Sands.
“It’s nice to see the fruits of our labor,” he said. “When I see something like the Rochester General Hospital Sands-Constellation Heart Institute, that’s gratifying. It’s nice to see those things actually happen.”
Ron Kirshner, chief of cardiac services for the Rochester General Health System, called the renaming of the heart institute “a nice marriage.”
“What having his name on the program does is, it has it on a very highly visible program that has been identified to be top five in the country and number one in New York state,” he said. “It’s high volume; it’s very high quality. ... He’s supported the board with both time and money.”
Sands added, “I hope it will encourage other people to be philanthropic with organizations they think are important to the community. Hopefully others will step up and help out as well.”
