COLUMBUS, Ohio – Back in 1969 when Stan Ross made his first $10 gift to The Ohio State University, he never imagined that one day he'd be able to donate $10 million to the university. Not once, but twice.
Throughout the years, Stan and his wife, Joan "Jodi" Ross, have been longtime supporters of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. In 2015, they donated $10 million to create the Stanley D. and Joan H. Ross Center for Brain Health and Performance at Ohio State. This was in addition to their earlier donation to endow a chair in neuromodulation that bears their names and is held by Benjamin Segal, MD, chair of the department of neurology.
Now, Stan and Jodi Ross have committed $10 million to support the new Wexner Medical Center hospital. Pending approval by The Ohio State University's Board of Trustees in August, the neurology program's 14th floor in the new hospital will be named in the family's honor.
The 26-story hospital with 820 private rooms is set to open early 2026. It's designed for flexible and team-based care that centers around the patient and their family. The new hospital will support interdisciplinary teaching, research and clinical care within its facility. "We're so grateful for the enduring generosity of Stan and Jodi Ross. Their steadfast support is helping Ohio State advance neuroscience education, research and care at the Wexner Medical Center," said Walter "Ted" Carter Jr., president of The Ohio State University. "Generations of future patients will benefit."
The Rosses started supporting Ohio State Wexner Medical Center after their teenage son, Malcolm, broke his neck while racing a car at the Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1993. Malcolm was transferred to Ohio State Dodd Rehabilitation Hospital, where he recovered from his injuries.
"Throughout this experience, we learned a lot about neurology from talking with the doctors and therapists at Ohio State while our son was recovering, and this led to our interest in the university's brain research," said Stan Ross. "We learned more about how intricate the brain is, and the potential for research to help people in the future with all kinds of neurological diseases. During these often-uncertain times, philanthropic support of academic medical research is more important than ever before. We want to help Ohio State continue this life-saving research and patient care."
In 2021, nearly 2 out of 5 people worldwide had a neurological condition, according to the World Health Organization. Neurological conditions are the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide.
The top 5 neurological conditions that resulted in health loss in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy (brain injury), migraine, dementia and diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage).
Philanthropic contributions such as the Rosses' gift help speed progress in developing new treatments and educating future generations of neurological experts.
"We appreciate the Rosses' ongoing support for brain research at Ohio State. Through their latest generous investment, Stan and Jodi are helping us envision a future where we can better understand and address neurological conditions and ultimately improve lives through relentless innovation," said John J. Warner, MD, CEO of Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and executive vice president at Ohio State. "We are both tremendously grateful and proud that they have chosen to name the neurology floor of our new hospital, which will serve as a reminder of the important advancements we are making thanks to their transformational legacy of giving."
/Public Release. This material from the originating organization/author(s) might be of the point-in-time nature, and edited for clarity, style and length. Mirage.News does not take institutional positions or sides, and all views, positions, and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s).View in full here.
