A foundation headed up by a local philanthropist and businessman has made a $30 million commitment to the University of Rochester Medical Center.
That donation by the Saunders Foundation, which is led by Phil Saunders, will support research and clinical programs in orthopaedics. As a result, the facility located at Marketplace Mall in Henrietta will be renamed the Saunders Center for Orthopedics and Physical Performance.
At the announcement on Wednesday, Saunders also noted that the donation will help create scholarships for nursing students at Noyes Health in Dansville.
“And hopefully at the end of 10 years, we’ll have 25 or 30 RNs that will have come through this program and will help with this dire problem we have with nursing in our community and all over the country; not enough nurses,” Saunders said.
University of Rochester president Sarah Manglesdorf said the orthopaedics facility in Henrietta already has a stellar reputation, and this donation will help them go even further.
“The UR medicine orthopaedics and physical performance center is the most comprehensive facility in the Northeastern US,” said Manglesdorf. “It is a real point of pride for the university and for Rochester. People come from all over to receive their care here.“
The Saunders Foundation will establish an endowed research fund and an endowed professorship in the Department of Orthopaedics that will be named for Dean’s Professor Michael Maloney, who is an orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine.
Phil Saunders has long supported the University of Rochester and URMC, and he is a board member of the Medical Center’s Board of Trustees as well. He also served on the University of Rochester’s Board of Trustees from 2015 to 2020.
In 2015, UR awarded Saunders its Eastman Medal, which recognizes individuals whose achievements and service embody the institution’s highest ideals.
Saunders is an entrepreneur who has founded several companies including Genesee Regional Bank, Truck Stops of America and Travel Centers of America.
