Scripps Health Gets $30M for Cardiovascular Institute

By Bradley J. Fikes, North County Times, Escondido, Calif.

Jun. 19–SAN DIEGO — Scripps Health said Monday it has received a $30 million donation to fund its cardiovascular institute, under construction in La Jolla. The grant was given by The Howard Charitable Foundation.

The institute, to be completed in 2015 at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, will combine the cardiovascular program of that hospital with the program of Scripps Green Hospital in one location. The hospital system, which includes Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas, estimates the cost at $430 million.

Cardiovascular diseases, including heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke, are the most common causes of death in the United States. In 2004, they accounted for 871,500 U.S. deaths, or 36.3 percent of all deaths.

The Howard Charitable Foundation was formed after Howard Publications, the family-owned parent company of the North County Times, sold the newspaper in 2002 to its current owner, Lee Enterprises, based in Davenport, Iowa. Part of the money from the sale was used to start the charitable foundation, said Richard High, publisher of the North County Times.

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