Phoenix philanthropist donates $5 million to Creighton, St. Joseph’s

PHOENIX — Creighton University and Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital has received a $5 million dollar donation from a Phoenix-area philanthropist.

Doris Norton donated the large amount of money to expand health sciences education in Phoenix.

“I’m delighted to support this expanding partnership between St. Joseph’s and Creighton University,” Norton said in a press release. “We’ve always believed St. Joseph’s is the leading hospital in the Valley. Knowing that Creighton mirrors the same commitment to educating outstanding health care professionals makes this the perfect union. We’ve always felt blessed to be able to support St. Joseph’s and the education of those advancing in the health care profession, and I hope others will join us in this effort.”

Norton is giving $3 million of the donation to help develop new Health Sciences Phoenix campus at Creighton, which includes a 180,000-square-foot building which will hold 800 students. The remaining $2 million is going toward St. Joseph’s endowment scholarships for nursing students.

The philanthropist and her late husband have been donating to the hospital for years.

In 2014, they donated $19 million to the St. Joseph’s to create the John and Doris Norton Cardiothoracic and Transplantation Institute at the Hospital. The donation was the largest in Arizona’s history at the time.

In 2017 the hospital’s lung transplant program was the No. 1 program in the country.

“We are on the verge of an exciting new era in health care delivery and education in Phoenix and the greater Southwest,” said Creighton University President the Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson.

As a state, Arizona sits in the bottom third in the number of practicing physicians per 100,000 people. The partnership and donation aims to help students obtain their degree, receive training and start medical careers in Phoenix.

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