$36 million gift from Ron and Sandi Simon to healthcare center powers caregiver housing and cements legacy of transformative giving
Ron and Sandi Simon’s latest $30 million commitment to Hoag brings their total giving to the health system to more than $36 million, underscoring the depth and longevity of their investment in Orange County caregivers and the communities they serve.
As housing costs continue to climb across the region, the couple’s new gift will underwrite a comprehensive workforce housing assistance program designed to help nurses and other essential employees remain rooted near Hoag’s campuses—an increasingly critical factor as the organization prepares for significant growth, including the opening of the Sun Family Campus in Irvine and the addition of roughly 1,000 new jobs later this year.
The Simons’ $30 million will fund approximately $1.25 million annually in housing stipends for eligible employees and support long-term strategies, such as securing permanent workforce housing, directly addressing one of the most pressing challenges facing healthcare workers in high-cost markets.
The initiative is intended to bolster Hoag’s ability to recruit and retain top talent across its more than 9,000-person workforce, ensuring that caregivers—from nurses and physicians to technicians, environmental services, and administrative staff—can live within the communities where they deliver care.
“Our caregivers are the cornerstone of everything we do at Hoag, and supporting them is fundamental to our long-term success,” said Michael Krug, SPHR, Chief Human Resources Officer, Hoag Health.
He noted that by easing housing pressures for team members, the Simons’ philanthropy becomes a strategic investment in workforce stability at a time when Hoag is expanding its footprint and services throughout Orange County.
For Hoag, this landmark commitment is the latest chapter in a donor relationship that spans decades and has now surpassed $36 million in cumulative support from the Simons, touching multiple areas of clinical excellence and innovation.
“For decades, Ron and Sandi Simon have been extraordinary partners in advancing excellence, innovation, and care at Hoag,” said Caroline A. Pereira, MBA, President of Hoag Hospital Foundation.
“This gift builds on that legacy by investing directly in the people who make our mission possible every day.”
In addition to the new housing initiative, the Simons have previously funded the Ron & Sandi Simon Research, Innovation, and Education Fund, which has strengthened Hoag’s clinical research infrastructure and accelerated the launch of new clinical trials. T
hey also made a $6.25 million gift establishing the Ron & Sandi Simon Executive Medical Director Endowed Chair at the Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute—an endowment that advances clinical leadership and innovation in neurological care and is held by Adam S. Kanter, MD, MS, MBA, FAANS.
The couple’s broader philanthropic portfolio reflects a focus on systemic levers of opportunity—education, housing, and healthcare—and that vision informs their most recent commitment to Hoag.
Through RSI Dream Communities, their nonprofit dedicated to creating affordable housing for “local heroes” such as nurses, teachers, and first responders, the Simons have championed models that enable essential workers to live closer to their workplaces, enhancing community stability and quality of life.
“This initiative aligns deeply with Hoag’s history and values,” said Ron Simon. “We’re proud to support an effort that helps caregivers live and work in the communities they serve while strengthening healthcare across Orange County.”
With more than 9,000 employees, Hoag is one of Orange County’s 10 largest employers, and its continued expansion—including the new Sun Family Campus in Irvine supported by the Hoag Hospital Foundation’s Boldly Hoag campaign—depends on a resilient, well-supported workforce.
Pereira emphasized that gifts like the Simons’ do more than fund a single program; they underpin the long-term strength of the health system itself by investing in people and planning as much as in facilities and technology.
The Simons’ commitment also aligns with Hoag’s philanthropic origin story, which has long prioritized caring for caregivers as a prerequisite for exceptional patient care. “From the very beginning, Hoag has believed that supporting caregivers is essential to delivering exceptional care,” said Robert Braithwaite, President and CEO of Hoag.
“In 1952, when our hospital first opened, the initial expansion was dedicated not to patients but to staff, thanks to Grace E. Hoag, who personally funded housing for nurses. Her commitment to caring for caregivers remains at the heart of who we are.”
Today, as Hoag delivers world-class, comprehensive care through two award-winning hospitals, a network of urgent care and wellness centers, and seven specialized institutes, philanthropy remains central to its evolution.
The more than $36 million in cumulative giving from Ron and Sandi Simon stands as a defining example of how strategic, sustained generosity can shape a health system’s trajectory—creating opportunities for discovery in the lab, leadership in the clinic, and stability at home for the caregivers who make it all possible.