The French Hospital Medical Center has received a $500,000 donation to supports its current expansion project.
The donation comes from John Couch, an author and former executive at Apple, who recently relocated to San Luis Obispo.
The medical center's current project, "Your New French Hospital," will cost a total of $150 million. The expansion will include a new Patient Care Tower with single patient rooms.
The hospital plans to include "holistic healing spaces" within the expansion, organizers say, in an effort to support patients' emotional, mental and spiritual needs. This includes a meditation room and serenity garden, which will be named after Couch's mother, Mary Lou Couch.
"I am honored to support French Hospital and its vision for the future," John Couch said in a statement. "And I am truly touched to name this important healing space in recognition of my mother. She was a deeply spiritual woman and to honor her in this way is very meaningful to our family."
The hospital has $137 million committed to the project, which includes $120 million from Dignity Health and $17 million from private donors in San Luis Obispo County.
The expansion is planned for completion in 2025.
