Leading by Example

Foundation board chair Susan Ford Dorsey takes her dedication to children’s health to the next level

Susan Ford Dorsey’s connection to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford dates back decades—to before it even opened. In the late 1980s, her late first husband Tom Ford, a builder and developer, collaborated closely with Lucile Packard, the hospital’s founding donor and namesake, to envision plans for the institution.

Ford Dorsey quickly became inspired by Lucile’s vision. “The idea that no child or family would be turned away for their inability to pay is at the center of the hospital’s mission,” Ford Dorsey says. “That was important at the beginning, and it continues to be important today. It’s an easy cause to get behind.”

Ford Dorsey was also inspired by our hospital’s commitment to accelerating research and innovation to help children around the world.

“We are both a community hospital where people come for their children’s basic medical care as well as a place where top scientists are making incredible advances to improve children’s health,” Ford Dorsey says. “The fact that we span that spectrum of care is important to me.”

A New Milestone

Paul King, president and CEO of Stanford Medicine Children’s Health and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, got to know Ford Dorsey while she served on the hospital board.

“It’s an honor to have an advocate like Susan invested in our mission to deliver the best possible health outcomes for moms and babies today while advancing the cures of tomorrow,” says King.

After nine years on the hospital board getting to know the institution, faculty, and community’s needs, Ford Dorsey joined the board of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health.

This year marked a milestone for Ford Dorsey: She became the Foundation’s board chair.

“Even after all those years on the hospital board, I knew I wasn’t quite done and that I still wanted to support the hospital’s priorities,” Ford Dorsey says. “It’s been an incredible honor to be chosen from among this group of talented and motivated people as its leader.”

Planning for the Future

Ford Dorsey is also a generous supporter of our hospital in other ways, including a gift in her will. With this gift, Ford Dorsey has become a member of the Lucile Salter Packard Society, which honors the roughly 400 donors who have made the hospital part of their estate plan.

“Knowing that I can have an impact through an enduring gift is a very compelling and inspiring notion,” Ford Dorsey says. “I care deeply about this organization, and I know it will always continue to provide essential services for families and solve mysteries related to children’s health. My estate gift allows me to be part of that after I’m no longer here.”

Among other uses, Ford Dorsey has directed her estate gift to support undercompensated care. As part of its commitment to our community, every year, Packard Children’s delivers approximately $200 million in care for families whose medical services are not covered by insurance.

“Every parent does whatever they can to obtain the best care for their child, and every parent deserves that, no matter what resources they have,” Ford Dorsey says. “It is such a privilege to be able to help families get what they need for their children. It taps into our common humanity.”

A Lasting Legacy

Through her board leadership and legacy giving, Ford Dorsey is helping our hospital fulfill its commitment to our community, now and in the future. And she hopes to inspire others to do the same.

“When you care about something,” says Ford Dorsey, “it gives you so much joy knowing that you can make an impact that will last for generations.”

Are you considering including our hospital in your will or trust? Please reach out to Shadie Parivar, director of Gift Planning, at Shadie.Parivar@LPFCH.org.