Part-time Palm Beacher Bob Kraft donates $50 million to Massachusetts hospital

Robert Kraft knows that disparity in healthcare access is often a product of race, ethnicity, geography and economic status.

And he's doing something about it — $50 million worth of something.

The winter resident and his Kraft Family Foundation have made a $50 million gift to Massachusetts General Hospital, specifically to address those inequalities.

The gift, which is the largest the hospital has received in support of health-care equity, will support a permanent Robert K. Kraft Endowed Chair in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to be held by the medical director of the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Center at the hospital.

More:Patriots owner Robert Kraft behind $23.75M record-setting condo purchase in Palm Beach

Research into sickle cell disease, a genetic blood disorder primarily affecting Black Americans, has historically been underfunded.

But this is not Kraft's first gift directed at the issue.

In 2011, the NFL New England Patriots owner established the Kraft Center for Community Health to improve health outcomes for disadvantaged populations in Massachusetts and nationally. That center also will benefit from this donation.

"The Kraft family has a proud history of transformative philanthropy," said Dr. Elsie Taveras, executive director of the Kraft Center for Community Health. "This amazing gift will have a profound impact on improving community health access and equity, and we are so honored to be a part of this incredible legacy.”

More:Society news can be found here

“I am proud to live in a city that is home to what I consider the greatest hospitals in the world, led by Mass General,” Kraft said in October when the gift was announced. “Yet, I’ve always been troubled by health-care inequities, as I know there are many in nearby communities who don’t have health care and can’t access the excellent care others receive here. That’s what inspired us me to create the Kraft Center for Community Health. That initial investment has paid dividends, as Dr. Elsie Taveras and her team have saved lives and positively impacted thousands of patients over the past 12 years, so we have decided to significantly increase our commitment."

A portion of the gift will support expansion efforts at the Mass General Blood Donor Center, which will be renamed for the Kraft family. The center, among largest in the country, provides approximately 30 percent of the blood transfused for patients across the Mass General Brigham hospitals.

The Kraft family is deeply connected to the Mass General hospital system, both financially and personally.

In addition to this current donation — which brings the family's total support to $75 million — Kraft’s son, Jonathan, is chairman of the hospital’s board of trustees and a board member for the hospital’s parent corporation, Mass General Brigham.

Jonathan Kraft and his wife, Patti, are co-chairs of the ongoing $3 billion Campaign for Mass General. Robert Kraft is honorary co-chairman of the campaign.

Since the public launch of the campaign in October 2021, it has raised $2.5 billion.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Bob Kraft lays a carpet of green on Mass General for healthcare equity