Overview
Founded in 1982, Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation serves as the philanthropic arm of Sonoma Valley Hospital, cultivating community support and raising funds to assist the Hospital in its mission to maintain, improve and restore the health of everyone in our community.
Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation donors continue to transform healthcare in our community through meaningful investments in technology, innovation, and patient care. In spring 2026, $1.5 million in philanthropic support funded major technology upgrades in all three operating rooms and the purchase of a new hospital-wide telemetry system, advancing patient monitoring across the hospital.
In 2025, donor support completed the expansion of Sonoma Valley Hospital’s Physical Therapy practice, increasing access to rehabilitation services for patients close to home.
In 2024, Foundation donors helped secure a new 3 Tesla MRI as part of the more than $21 million Outpatient Diagnostic Center project, dramatically enhancing Sonoma Valley Hospital’s diagnostic capabilities with state-of-the-art imaging technology.
Earlier, in 2023, the Foundation raised $770,000 from the Sonoma Valley community to support the hospital’s transition to the Epic/MyChart electronic health record system — a more than $4 million investment that improved care coordination, patient communication, and access to medical records.
Together, these investments reflect the extraordinary generosity of our community and a shared commitment to ensuring exceptional healthcare remains available in Sonoma Valley for generations to come.
Who We Are
The Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation
The volunteers on the Board of Directors and the Advisory Council are the heartbeat of the Foundation. We are grateful for their time, expertise, and financial support.
Board of Directors
 Lindsay BennettChair |
 Yves de BalmannVice-Chair |
 Barry Currier |
 Art Grandy |
 Ian Clark |
 Cherie Hughes |
 Steve MacRostie |
 Simon Blattner |
 Elizabeth Sealey |
 Brian Sebastian, MD |
 Andrew Fenton, MD |
 John Gibbons |
Ex-officio Board Members
 Wendy Lee Myatt |
 Kelley Kaiser |
Advisory Council
Suzanne Brangham
Thomas Landy
Marcia Levy
Martha Murphy
Gary Nelson
Steve Page
Buddy Pepp
Steve Sangiacomo
Joan Weill
Foundation Team
 Leslie Petersen Executive Director |
SVHF distributes millions of dollars in grant funding to Sonoma Valley Hospital. Grants are primarily for capital needs such as the new MRI center, recent 3rd floor renovations, and small equipment replacement, but also include funds for Project Pink and SVH staff education and career advancement.
Since its founding in 1982, Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation has enabled the hospital to enhance medical services, expand health care and wellness programs, upgrade facilities, and offer services to patients who could not otherwise afford to pay for care.
Established in 1957, the hospital, with 24 acute care beds and a 27-bed Skilled Nursing Facility, operates under the auspices of the Sonoma Valley Health Care District, which was created in March 22, 1946, by community residents who saw a critical shortage of hospital beds in the State following World War II. Today, Sonoma Valley Hospital embraces the Healing Hospital model of care and offers services that encompass the whole spectrum of health care needs, underscoring its mission to “maintain, improve and restore the health of everyone in our community.”
The Foundation serves as the philanthropic arm of Sonoma Valley Hospital, cultivating community support and raising funds to assist the Hospital in its mission to maintain, improve and restore the health of everyone in our community.
Our Hospital relies mainly on reimbursements for services with support from a Parcel Tax. But it also counts on philanthropy dollars raised by the Foundation for capital equipment purchases, some facility improvements, and certain community health services such as our mammography program for uninsured women, which is funded by the Foundation.