Pasadena-Based Webster Foundation Pledges $5 Million to Support Cardiac Care

The Pasadena-based Helen and Will Webster Foundation has pledged $5 million to support the Heart Institute and the Helen and Will Webster Foundation 3D Innovations Lab at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego and to eventually accelerate cardiac care and significantly improve survival rates for children with congenital heart disease and other cardiac conditions.

Founded by Pasadena natives Will Webster and his late wife, Helen, the Webster Foundation was founded to support education and healthcare causes that benefit young people. Currently, the foundation operates under the stewardship of the Webster couple’s sons, Rich and Alec Webster.

A statement from the foundation on Friday said it remains committed to investing in technological innovation in order to advance medicine and improve lives.

Rich Webster indicated the grant was made because Rady’s Hospital has continued to demonstrate a major commitment to innovation and high levels of service.

“The progress that has been made over the last several years with the 3D Innovations Lab – watching it grow and support other programs at the hospital beyond cardiology – has been inspiring,” he said. “Our foundation is not only about helping young people, but also very much about honoring my dad’s lifetime of work.”

Dr. Patrick Frias, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rady Children’s Hospital, said the Webster Foundation’s support will help them remain a leading center for exceptional pediatric cardiac care.

“It will make a difference for countless young patients and their families who look to us for hope and healing when they come to the Rady Children’s Heart Institute,” Dr. Frias said. “We’re thankful that the Webster Foundation is entrusting us with this mission through its generous gift.”

The statement said the pledge will also help further the Heart Institute’s mission by establishing two endowed positions: the Helen and Will Webster Foundation Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery Chair and the Helen and Will Webster Foundation 3D Innovations Lab Directorship. Friday’s statement also included the announcement that Dr. John Nigro, a cardiothoracic and heart transplant surgeon, has been selected as the Helen and Will Webster Foundation Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery and co-director of the Heart Institute.

“My team and I are so grateful for the amazing generosity and support that the Webster Foundation and specifically Rich Webster has provided for our program,” Dr. Nigro said.

The pledge will also inaugurate the Helen and Will Webster Foundation Pediatric Cardiology Innovation Fund, which would provide resources for strategic research investment, including seed funding for initiatives and programs aimed at transforming cardiac care for children.

The Webster 3D Innovations Lab, which in 2019 received a $1 million donation from the Webster Foundation, works closely with the Heart Institute and other Rady Children’s Hospital programs in developing 3D technology and software to help physicians improve patient care.

“Ultimately, this is about healing kids’ hearts,” Dr. Adel Younoszai, co-director of the Heart Institute and division chief of Cardiology, said. “The Webster Foundation’s support will benefit children for years to come.”

The Heart Institute at Rady’s Hospital is ranked as the No. 1 pediatric cardiology program on the West Coast and No. 3 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, the statement said.

Rady Children’s Hospital has a 511-bed pediatric hospital in San Diego and has expanded to over 40 locations in San Diego, southern Riverside, and Imperial counties. The hospital network is dedicated exclusively to pediatric health care. As a nonprofit organization, Rady Children’s Hospital relies on donations to fulfill its mission of pediatric healthcare excellence.

For more information, visit www.rchsd.org.