Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles has announced a $140 million gift from the estate of Susanne and Ervin Bard to propel clinical research and innovation in the organization’s newest building. 

The largest gift in the hospital’s 121-year history will name the Susanne and Ervin Bard Pavilion, which houses the Smidt Heart Institute and the Samuel Oschin Cancer Center. In addition, it will help the organization elevate and broaden its healthcare mission, advance biomedical discovery, and educate future medical professionals.

The Bards, who believed deeply in the Hebrew concept of giving known as “tzedakah,” were longtime supporters of Cedars-Sinai. Susanne was a volunteer in several departments before she died in 2021; her husband passed in 2006.

“The generosity exhibited by the Bards was extraordinary throughout their lifetimes and now as part of their legacy,” said Cedars-Sinai CEO and president Thomas M. Priselac. “This amazing gift has cleared new pathways to continue the pioneering research and thoughtful care that Cedars-Sinai is dedicated to delivering.” 

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