SAN DIEGO, June 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Local businessman and philanthropist Conrad T. Prebys has made a $1 Million gift to San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine, in support of the nonprofit organization's transformational programs and services for seriously ill adults and children.

In November 2009, Prebys made an extraordinary "holiday gift" to San Diego Hospice with his initial $1.5 Million donation to establish The Conrad T. Prebys Fund For Charitable Care. The latest $1 Million donation to San Diego Hospice will be added towards this fund that allows the organization to meet the needs of growing numbers of patients whose financial situation means they cannot afford end-of-life care.

"I am humbled and amazed by the enormous generosity and compassion of Mr. Prebys and his support of our organization," said Kathleen Pacurar, President and CEO of San Diego Hospice and the Institute for Palliative Medicine. "Community members in need of San Diego Hospice services will have access to them regardless of one's ability to pay for hospice care."

San Diego Hospice cares for more than 1,000 seriously ill adults and children each day throughout the county. Care is provided in the patient's home or wherever the patient resides. In the nonprofit's 35-year history - the oldest and largest hospice care provider in the region - San Diego Hospice has never turned a hospice-eligible patient away because of his or her inability to pay for hospice care.

"I am truly honored to support one of the finest organizations in San Diego County, which is San Diego Hospice," said Prebys. "The critical care that San Diego Hospice provides is awe-inspiring and I am glad to support such a vital mission. "

Mr. Prebys' knowledge regarding San Diego Hospice services came first-hand, as he learned about the organization while visiting a close friend in San Diego Hospice's Inpatient Care Center. The care Mr. Prebys' friend experienced has left a lasting impression.

"A visit to San Diego Hospice's hospice-hospital and witnessing the care that is provided is like heaven on earth," Prebys added.

Pacurar explains that no human experience touches us all as deeply as end-of-life care and Prebys' support of San Diego Hospice is one of the finest examples of the nonprofit organization's transformational care. "By helping those who are most vulnerable, Mr. Prebys' remarkable gift is an investment in compassion."

About San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine

San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine is the county's first and largest community-owned, not-for-profit hospice program, bringing compassionate, expert medical care to more than 1,000 seriously ill adults and children each day throughout San Diego County since 1977. For more information, visit online at www.sdhospice.org or call toll-free 866-688-1600.

Available Topic Expert(s): Kathleen Pacurar

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Contact: Melissa DelaCalzada
mdelacalzada@sdhospice.org, 619-278-6139

SOURCE San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine