Health experience prompts donation from longtime St. Francis Hospital physician

Ophthalmologist Robert Broderick, MD, began his relationship with St. Francis Hospital in 1983 when he began performing eye surgery for the hospital. Early on, he realized the nurses he worked with played a vital role in maintaining a special culture at the hospital.

Fast forward nearly 40 years and Dr. Broderick, who is still an attending ophthalmologist for the hospital and a partner in Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island, underwent his own heart surgery at St. Francis. During that experience, he said, he realized on a deeply personal level how important the nurses were.

Dr. Broderick wanted to recognize the nursing staff at St. Francis and the exceptional and compassionate care they provide. Together with his family, he decided to donate to the Endowment for Nursing Leadership and Education at St. Francis to show support for the nursing staff, helping to give them tools to continually further their education. Dr. Broderick and his family chose to support the Endowment through their family foundation, the Patrick J. Broderick Memorial Foundation –named after his grandfather and great-grandfather – to signify the full family’s support of this gift.

As an added blessing, the Endowment for Nursing Leadership and Education will provide ample support for nurses to remain at St. Francis while they advance professionally. “When a nurse leaves, it’s like losing part of the family,” said Dr. Broderick. He believes St. Francis is an ideal place where the Endowment will enable nurses to advance their clinical training and grow their career while remaining at the hospital. When Dr. Broderick heard about the opportunity to donate in a way that would help nurses, “it fit like a glove for me,” he said.