PeaceHealth Lands $50M Gift to Expand Bellingham Hospital

It's the largest gift ever received by the Vancouver, Washington-based, nonprofit, 10-hospital, Catholic health system.

Retired hotelier and real estate developer Peter H. Paulsen has given PeaceHealth $50 million to expand St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham, Washington, the health system announced Thursday.

It's the largest gift ever received by Vancouver, Washington-based PeaceHealth, a nonprofit, 10-hospital, Catholic health system with a footprint in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska.

The money will be used to build the Peter H. Paulsen Pavilion at PeaceHealth St. Joseph and will include an emergency department and care venue upgrades for women, children and newborns.

PeaceHealth President and CEO Liz Dunne said the gift "honors the courageous compassion of PeaceHealth caregivers, while reaffirming the value of their dedication and expertise."

"(Paulsen's) trust in PeaceHealth ensures continued innovation in top-tier community-based healthcare and will transform the health and well-being of those who live in the northwest Washington region for years to come," Dunne said.

In addition to Paulsen's $50 million pledge, PeaceHealth has already collected $15.5 million from other donors through its newly launched Stronger Together fundraising campaign

“I am proud to be a lead donor to the Stronger Together campaign," Paulsen said. "My gift, along with the other $15.5 million already raised, help ensure PeaceHealth's continued innovation in best-in-class community-based healthcare. I was encouraged by early donors to this effort and hope others will join us."