Leaving a legacy of compassionate giving

Many years ago at the top of Greg Rogers Park in Chula Vista, a young girl watched her older brother’s baseball practice. She turned to her mom and asked, “What’s that building over there on the hill?”

Her mom replied, “That’s the Community Hospital of Chula Vista.”

That inquisitive girl was Cynthia Stuart, who grew up to become a registered nurse and manager of restorative care at the Birch Patrick Nursing Facility. And the hospital on the hill is now known as Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center, the South Bay’s premier destination for safe, quality care.

Stuart spent the last 33 years working at Sharp Chula Vista and serving her beloved community, beginning her career as a nurse aide in Sharp’s telemetry unit to later working as an infection preventionist on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It was ironic that I ended up working here,” says Stuart. “It has been a fun journey and really special to see all of the changes that have transpired over the years.”

Stuart’s passion for giving back to the community she was raised in runs deep within her core values. She participates in the employee giving Hour Club, honored her mom by donating a brick to the Douglas & Nancy Barnhart Cancer Center building, and, most recently, she has contributed to the hospital’s Ocean View Tower.

“I started looking at the different ways to give and decided to extend my giving through a charitable bequest,” says Stuart. “I told the Foundation that I would not just make a concurrent donation but also a posthumous donation.”

A bequest is among the most personal and meaningful forms of philanthropy. Stuart’s giving will contribute beyond her lifetime and will support Sharp’s mission for years to come.

“I’ve worked and lived in this community for years, so I found myself very connected to our health care cause. I know that the services we provide are valuable and necessary,” Stuart says. “It’s a daily reminder of how important and better it is to give than to receive. It is tremendously rewarding.”

Two rooms inside of Sharp Chula Vista’s Ocean View Tower are named in honor of Stuart’s generosity.

Stuart says, “It’s a great feeling, not for the name recognition but because you’re making a difference.”

That curious girl who once stood on the hill didn’t realize the incredible contributions she would later have on that building and the future generations to receive care at Sharp Chula Vista.

Learn more about how you can support the work of Sharp HealthCare through a charitable donation.

For the news media: To speak with Cynthia Stuart for an upcoming story, please contact Erica Carlson, senior public relations specialist, at erica.carlson@sharp.com.