Queen of the Valley Foundation Raises $100,000 to Support Heart Health and Physician Wellness in Napa
NAPA, Calif. (June 29,-2026)-— In Napa Valley, where community and care go hand in hand, local philanthropy is helping ensure life-saving support is always within reach.-That spirit of generosity and shared responsibility was on full display at the Queen of the Valley Foundation’s Women for Wellness event, where $100,000 was raised to support both critical heart health initiatives and the well-being of local physicians.-
Proceeds will be evenly distributed between two key efforts: $50,000 to expand the Queen’s Heart Safe Program and $50,000 to-establish-a new Physician Wellness Fund.-
“This is a powerful example of what happens when a focused group comes together with purpose,” said-CEO of Queen of the Valley Foundation and Chief Philanthropy Officer at Queen of the Valley Medical Center Rachael Poer. “These funds-will make a -meaningful-difference,-helping save lives in critical moments and-supporting-the physicians caring for our neighbors every day.”-
Life-Saving Heart Care:
In 2011, Queen of the Valley Medical Center’s community health department in partnership with Via Heart Project, created the Queen’s Heart Safe Program to improve survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest across Napa County. The program has provided and maintained 200 AED units across the county and offered CPR/AED training to equip businesses,-schools-and community organizations with life-saving tools when and where they are needed most.
This investment will further expand availability and access to AEDs and training throughout the region, strengthening Napa’s coordinated, community-wide response to cardiac emergencies and helping to save lives.-
Physician Wellness:
The Women for Wellness event also marked the launch of a new Physician Wellness Fund, developed to recognize the challenges facing physicians and the importance of supporting their well-being.- The fund provides flexible financial resources to support physicians during periods of heightened stress, with a focus on enhancing access to behavioral health services and spaces where physicians can rest and recharge.
By investing in physician well-being, donors are recognizing the critical role physicians play in delivering high-quality care and ensuring they have the support needed to continue serving the Napa community.-
Together, these investments reflect Queen of the Valley Foundation’s ongoing commitment to advancing life-saving-cardiac care-and long-term caregiver support-—-ensuring Napa patients and providers alike continue to have the resources they need to thrive, now and into the future.-
“Queen of the Valley Foundation is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated entirely to supporting Queen of the Valley Medical Center and the patients and families who depend on it. That hasn’t changed since 1969 — and it won’t,” said Rachael Poer. “Queen of the Valley Foundation raises funds exclusively for Queen of the Valley Medical Center, investing in the people, technology and programs that allow the community to receive world-class care close to home.
Pictured above: Speakers (from left to right): Pam Dodson, Director of Program Development, Via Heart Project; Andrew Nothmann, MD, MS, FACEP, Napa Valley Emergency Medical Group; Kathryn Henry, Writer, Speaker, Executive; and Simon Patience, a Queen of the Valley Foundation donor and Napa resident who received life-saving heart care at the Queen.
About Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center
Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center is a Catholic, nonprofit, acute-care hospital serving Napa Valley and surrounding communities for more than 60 years. Part of Providence St. Joseph Health, a national nonprofit Catholic health system, The Queen is guided by a mission to provide compassionate, high-quality, whole-person care, with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable. The medical center offers a comprehensive range of services, including emergency care, maternity services, surgical care, cancer care, heart and vascular services, and advanced specialty care, delivered by dedicated caregivers committed to the health and well-being of the community.
About Queen of the Valley Foundation
Queen of the Valley Foundation was established in 1969 by 32 visionary community leaders. Many of these individuals had been involved in raising the funds needed to build the hospital a decade earlier. They formalized their efforts by creating a separate corporation that would continue to provide support into the future. Our Founders’ mission was to make certain that funding would always be available to sustain the highest-quality health care possible, and that it would be available to everyone who visits, lives and works in Napa County. More than half a century later, over $160 million has been raised and transferred to the hospital by donors who understand that Napa’s standard of health care depends on the level of their own commitment. More information about Queen of the Valley Foundation can be found at www.queensfoundation.org.
About Via Heart Project--
Via Heart Project, based in San Francisco, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the awareness, education, treatment-and prevention of sudden cardiac arrest. We advance our mission worldwide via community outreach, CPR training-and automated external defibrillator (AED) placement and maintenance.-Learn more:-viaheartproject.org.-