Steve and Amy Hogan’s lives followed parallel paths. He was born in Tokyo and moved to Palos Verdes when he was two. Amy moved to the area from Chicago with her family when she was two. Steve got his undergraduate and graduate degrees from USC; Amy did the same at UCLA. They met later in life, were married and chose to stay in the South Bay area they both love.

These days Steve is with a private equity firm where he has worked for 25 years and Amy is an active community volunteer and has led several charitable organizations. They have five children, two dogs, and are deeply invested in the community.

“My parents’ view on philanthropy really shaped mine, and it has affected both Steve and me,” Amy shares. Her father, Jim Staes, has been involved with Providence Little Company of Mary Foundation since 1996 and was on the Foundation Board from 1996 until 2003. Her mom, Diane Staes, worked in the spiritual care department.

It was January 2019, however, that caused Steve and Amy to really think about the hospital and the central part it plays in the community. That month, Amy’s mother had shoulder replacement surgery, her father ended up having an unexpected surgery, and most worrisome of all, Amy needed an emergency appendectomy.

“Amy woke me up at 5:30 am and said ‘I’ve got some really bad pain. I think I need to go to the emergency room.’”  They rushed to the Emergency Department at Providence Little Company of Mary, Torrance. “Everyone there was very helpful trying to figure out exactly what it was,” Steve recalls. The staff quickly pinpointed the issue and Lori Nolan, a nurse and current Foundation staff member, eased his mind by explaining that it was a routine surgery. “She gave me peace of mind and was matter-of-fact with me and Amy’s parents.  She was amazing.”

Amy remembers the day after her appendectomy when a volunteer from the spiritual team came to visit and offered her communion. “I couldn’t eat at that point.  She was so kind and asked, ‘would you like to pray together instead?’ Being Catholic, that spiritual aspect at the hospital is very comforting.”

These experiences had a big impact on Steve and Amy. “When we were looking at where we want to donate, we thought about that a lot.” They spoke with Lori about needs within the Emergency Department and decided to make a gift. “The experience you’ll have at the hospital is not only due to these wonderful doctors, nurses and staff, but also the fact that community members were willing to take their charitable dollars and put them at the hospital so things can be improved with new equipment, new facilities and expansions,” said Amy. The Hogans’ gift will support Emergency Department enhancements in Torrance.

For information on supporting the Emergency Department or other programs within the medical center, contact Paul Millman, senior director of development, at 310-648-1206 or Paul.Millman@providence.org.