St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital announced that it has received a $5 million donation from the Steinbrenner family, longtime philanthropists and principal owners of the New York Yankees. This transformative gift reaffirms the family’s ongoing commitment to pediatric health care and expands their multigenerational support of the hospital’s emergency and trauma services.
The new donation and the project it will fund builds on the family’s legacy as the naming donor for the hospital’s preexisting Steinbrenner Children’s Emergency and Trauma Center. The new $5 million donation will provide funds to expand the space and enhance the services of the hospital’s emergency department as part of the new, freestanding, dedicated children’s hospital facility that is anticipated for 2030 and will be named the Pagidipati Children’s Hospital at St. Joseph’s. The Steinbrenners’ gift will directly support unifying the existing space, additional treatment rooms, advanced diagnostic equipment, a redesigned entrance and lobby and specialized training programs for medical staff. These enhancements will allow St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital to meet the growing demand for pediatric emergency care and provide an even higher level of service to young patients and their families throughout West Central Florida.
A Legacy of Support for St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital
The Steinbrenner family has been an integral part of the sporting world and philanthropic landscape for multiple generations. George M. Steinbrenner III and his wife, Joan Steinbrenner, regularly channeled their time and energy into countless charitable endeavors in Tampa, including advancing pediatric emergency care at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. That great civic-minded spirit was passed on to their four children — Hank, Jennifer, Jessica and Hal — as well as to their grandchildren.
When St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital was founded in 1990, its emergency center was shared with St. Joseph’s Hospital. Shortly after George and Joan took one of their grandchildren there for care, they spoke to Sister Marie Celeste Sullivan, the hospital administrator at the time, about the need for a separate emergency center for pediatric patients. In 1991, the Steinbrenners provided support for the construction of a new children’s emergency center, which the family has continued to assist throughout the decades. Known as the Steinbrenner Children’s Emergency and Trauma Center, the hospital’s state-certified Level II pediatric trauma center has become a critical resource for thousands of children each year, providing the highest level of pediatric emergency care in the region.
A Tradition of Giving Back
Joan was deeply invested in the welfare of children and served on the Development Council of the St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation from 1991-2000. In 2017, she was honored as the Community Hero for the foundation’s annual Heroes Ball, which raises critical funds for the hospital. Continuing the tradition of community engagement and philanthropy, daughter Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal serves as a member of the board of trustees for the St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation.
“The Steinbrenner family has been a cherished part of the St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital family for generations, and their unwavering commitment to our mission continues to change lives,” said Kate Sawa, president of the St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Foundation. “Their legacy of generosity will continue to make a profound impact in Tampa Bay and beyond for years to come. We are deeply grateful for their kindness and cannot thank them enough for their dedication to the health and well-being of our community’s children.”
“As a family, we are honored to support St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital and its mission to provide world-class pediatric care,” said Swindal. “Being able to positively impact the prospects of those facing adversity was a point of pride for my father, and naturally he gravitated toward charitable efforts that benefited the welfare of children. Our family continues to be motivated by that same spirit, and we are proud to provide resources that will raise the level of care for the youngest and most vulnerable members of our community.”
No hospital in Tampa Bay cares for more children than St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. With its new facility scheduled to open in 2030, Pagidipati Children’s Hospital at St. Joseph’s will be able to further evolve specialty care and research dedicated to children’s health, increasing the region’s access to high-quality, state-of-the-art pediatric health care.
For more information on supporting St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, visit www.give2stjoeskids.org.
