Hoag Names New Foundation President Amid Major Expansion in Orange County

Newport Beach-based Hoag has named Caroline Pereira president of the Hoag Hospital Foundation, the health system’s philanthropic arm.

Pereira, who has more than 20 years of fundraising experience mainly in academic health care and has led the fundraising of nearly $1 billion for local health initiatives, joins Hoag during a pivotal time in the health system’s evolution as it expands its footprint throughout Orange County.

As president of the Hoag Hospital Foundation, she will oversee one of the nation’s highest-performing nonprofit organizations, which raises over $100 million annually to support Hoag’s growing health network that had more than 35,000 inpatient admissions and over 639,000 outpatient visits last year.

“Caroline’s knowledge and experience of the local healthcare landscape make her especially fitting for this role, as she has been key to the execution of major health initiatives in our community,” said Robert Braithwaite, Hoag president and CEO. “Her passion for building strong teams, fostering their skills and creating a supportive environment for them to aim for and meet ambitious philanthropic goals make her exactly what we want in a Hoag leader.”

Pereira has spent most of her career supporting healthcare and academic institutions and ended a successful nearly 11-year tenure earlier this year with UCI Health, where she was most recently the associate vice chancellor for health advancement. During her time leading the team, the institution raised nearly $1 billion in philanthropic support. Pereira’s experience in the nonprofit sector is international as she previously spent more than 11 years at the University of Toronto in Canada, where she led fundraising for key departments in the School of Medicine.

“Hoag’s excellence in delivering the best care to its patients, engaging the most renowned clinical minds and shaping the future of medicine has always impressed me. It’s exciting to join the team working together to grow Hoag’s innovative healthcare,” Pereira said. “And it’s inspiring to know that there is such a generous community of donors and supporters, who are dedicated to bringing excellent care to their families, their friends and neighbors.”

In 2022, Hoag announced the launch of the Boldly Hoag campaign, a multi-year fundraising effort to grow its hospital in Irvine on Sand Canyon Avenue, now named the Sun Family Campus after donors Diana and David Sun, who made a $50-million gift to the project. The campus will grow to more than one million square feet and feature state-of-the-art specialty care centers for surgical innovation, cancer and digestive and women’s health. Construction on the campus continues, and the first phase is estimated to be completed in 2026.

“What inspires me most about the Sun Family Campus is how we’re expanding Hoag’s patient-centered care, which encompasses everything from the newly imagined physical spaces that blend high-tech and high-touch elements, the ability to grow research and clinical trials and make them available sooner and having the most specialized clinical experts to be partners in the healthcare journey,” Pereira said.

In addition to the Irvine campus growth, in recent years, Hoag has opened health centers and urgent care facilities across Orange County. This expansion is in line with Hoag’s response to the public’s evolving health needs and priorities. Hoag is creating more health resources and wellness offerings to emphasize prevention, education and holistic approaches to well-being.

“Well-being is a passion area of mine,” Pereira said. “Moving upstream from disease, prioritizing preventive health and changing the course of a diagnosis – that’s what the community wants, and I’m excited to help deliver more of that by building upon the stellar work of the Hoag Hospital Foundation.”

In collaboration with its Board of Directors, Pereira will lead the over 80-person Hoag Hospital Foundation team with offices in Newport Beach and Irvine. Since its creation in the late 1970s, the Foundation has been instrumental in launching and executing major philanthropic initiatives supporting Hoag’s growth and expanding its clinical offerings.

Hoag Hospital Foundation Board Chair Debbie Margolis said, “After a national search of exceptional talent, Caroline impressed us with her deep appreciation for Hoag’s vision. She understands the importance of guiding our talented Foundation team and the significance of partnering with donors who have propelled Hoag into the health system it is today. Philanthropy is the key to Hoag providing the best medical care in Orange County.”