A bequest from Gerald E. Pedersen benefits the new PVH pediatrics unit
Through a bequest to UCHealth Northern Colorado Foundation, Gerald Pedersen capped off a decades-long legacy of donating to health in northern Colorado. Pedersen, founder of Fort Collins automobile dealership Pedersen Toyota, passed away in January 2019.
Designated for children’s hospital services, the gift will support the new state-of-the-art, five-bed pediatrics unit at UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital (PVH). His son, Mark Pedersen, presented the foundation with his father’s legacy gift.
“I am humbled and honored to present this donation on behalf of my late father, a man whose spirit overflowed with compassion,” Mark Pedersen said. “It is with deep gratitude that our family fulfills his wish to support children’s hospital care and ensure that our community’s kids receive the best possible medical attention.”
In honor of Pedersen’s donation, the unit at PVH will be named the Gerald E. Pedersen Pediatrics Unit.
“We are immensely grateful for this generous gift,” said Kevin Unger, president and CEO of the hospital. “Pedersen Toyota and the Pedersen family have steadfastly supported the foundation’s mission for many decades. The Pedersens have provided broad support for our programs, giving to our capital campaigns for the hospital and the cancer center on the Harmony Campus, as well as donating to prenatal care, cancer care and behavioral health. Gerald Pedersen’s generous bequest will help provide unparalleled support for children’s hospital services, enabling us to deliver exceptional medical care and foster a brighter future for our community’s youngest members.”
Construction on PVH’s master-plan project began in October 2021 and is scheduled for completion in 2025, when the hospital celebrates its 100th anniversary. The pediatrics unit was activated in October 2023 and is currently treating patients in the new space.
“The new pediatrics unit is a beautiful and bright space, specially designed to treat our young patients. Each room has the capability and technology to care for pediatric patients who need high acuity care,” said Laura Hall, the director of nursing for UCHealth’s women and family services in northern Colorado. “Pediatric patients in our community will receive world-class care close to home, with the support of and thanks to this gift.”
PVH’s transformation also includes improvements in cardiovascular services, women’s and children’s care, outpatient surgery, behavioral health services, orthopedics, neurology, outpatient infusion services, and the main entrance and lobby. Improvements will be made to the hospital’s wayfinding, patient flow and aesthetics, with interiors incorporating natural light and soft colors.