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Matt and Jean McLaughlin

The McLaughlin's Legacy of Caring

Matt McLaughlin, who with his wife, Jean, supported health services at Palomar Health through major contributions for more than 30 years, didn't just play the role of generous benefactor - he lived it in a quiet and unassuming way.

To those at Palomar Health who knew him, Matt, who passed away last December, was a loyal supporter and invaluable partner in the healthcare system’s mission to improve the quality of life in San Diego. To Don McLean, Matt’s friend and certified public accountant for more than 20 years, Matt was someone who felt blessed by life and had a responsibility to share his good fortune with the community he’d grown to love. But he was also an inspiration for giving.

The McLaughlin’s legacy of giving can be seen throughout Palomar Health. Their contributions of cash, charitable gift annuities and other estate commitments totaling more than $10 million have helped to refurbish Pomerado Hospital’s Emergency Department, purchase vital, state-of-the-art medical equipment and establish a scholarship fund so Palomar Health nurses can get the advanced skills needed for improved patient care.

A $4 million charitable gift annuity helped to open the Jean McLaughlin Women’s Center for Health and Healing, which was recently named a “Breast Imaging Center of Excellence” by the American College of Radiology. It is the first and only such Center of Excellence in North County.