Erica and Bruce Alberts

Investing in our community and our future.

Erica and Bruce Alberts feel that giving back to the community is part of their social responsibility. The couple believe that supporting organizations like Huntington Hospital is not only an investment in improving and saving lives but also an investment in the welfare of the community. As such, the Alberts recently decided to make a generous gift to Huntington Hospital to help us create a new surgery center here. “Given my background,” Bruce says, “it’s natural for me to look at return on investment, and our gift to the hospital will pay dividends to the surrounding community well past our lifetimes, and hopefully in perpetuity. Now, that’s an investment I can wholeheartedly recommend and encourage others to consider!”

Thanks in part to Erica and Bruce’s invaluable support, Huntington Hospital recently finished construction on our new surgical facilities — helping to ensure we can continue to meet the needs of our community into the future. “The new surgery center is a critical component of the hospital’s efforts to provide state-of-the art care,” Erica says. “Also, as COVID-19 brought new challenges to medical facilities and caregivers, we felt that additional support for the hospital would be helpful in addressing those challenges.”

Enhancing high-quality surgical care.

The advanced facilities made possible with the Alberts’ help feature 15 new and refurbished surgery suites — including the Erica and Bruce Alberts Surgery Suite. These suites are used for general surgery, as well as neurology, trauma, orthopedic and other complex procedures. The new center also features three special suites with the latest-generation robotic surgery technology, which enhances precision and visualization, allowing our surgeons to perform minimally invasive procedures, which reduce recovery times for patients. “We recently became aware of a patient who was transferred to the hospital’s new surgery center,” Bruce says, “so that lifesaving procedures could be performed that were not available at the other hospital. It’s gratifying to know that Huntington Hospital, and hopefully more hospitals, can avail themselves of such capabilities.”

With new and refreshed facilities, enhanced lighting and top-of-the-line technologies, we have been able to enhance our surgical capacity and streamline care. “We understand that since completion of the surgery center,” Erica says, “more than 10,000 surgeries have been performed in the new and improved suites, including life-altering and lifesaving procedures. That gives us a warm and satisfying feeling.”

Preserving local architecture.

Our new surgery center is not the only thing Erica and Bruce have helped build. Inspired by her love of California’s — and especially Pasadena’s — rich architectural diversity and history, Erica has designed and/or restored several homes throughout the region. Erica began her career in the entertainment and technology industries — but ultimately found her passion overseeing design and architectural needs for a real estate development firm which lead to her eventually branching out on her own. Her most recent project was a 100-year-old Wallace Neff home with the goal of restoring it to its original grandeur. Her efforts included replacing the modern lighting by sourcing and restoring vintage fixtures, designing customized tile patterns, sourcing and restoring historically accurate hardware, customizing the interior and exterior paint colors, and implementing environmentally friendly, drought resistant landscaping that is more reflective of California’s original landscape. Since completing much of the restoration, the home has been admired as a local landmark. “Our efforts turned into a labor of love, and we sincerely hope that Wallace Neff, the wonderful architect that built this home, would be proud of our restoration efforts in spirit,” says Erica.

Commitment to the community.

The Alberts are passionate about contributing to the local community — from personal passion projects to health care. Bruce is originally from Southern California, where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Business Administration degrees, as well as his CPA, CVA, CGMA and CMAS certifications. He began his professional career at Deloitte and subsequently embarked on a career as a chief financial officer (CFO). Prior to retiring, Bruce was CFO of the global investment management firm Western Asset Management Company for more than 20 years. “I could not have accomplished everything that I did at Western Asset without Erica’s support, as well as the teamwork and support of the many talented colleagues throughout the organization globally, some of whom have become lifelong friends,” says Bruce. Notably, during his tenure at Western Asset, Bruce was awarded “CFO of the Year” by Los Angeles Business Journal. “I never stopped working from my teenage years until my retirement a few years ago,” he adds. “However, I would say that I’m actually semi-retired as I don’t think I could ever stop working completely.”

Today, Bruce and Erica are enjoying their “semi”-retirement years. “Our involvement with charitable and community organizations, spending time with family and friends, hosting events, mentoring business colleagues and pursuing our personal and professional passions keeps us busier than we might otherwise have expected during retirement,” Bruce says.

But even in retirement, the Alberts are still committed to investing in life-improving and lifesaving institutions in their San Gabriel Valley community. “We have always been impressed by Huntington Hospital’s quality of care,” Bruce says, “as well as its local culture and atmosphere. We wanted to do our part to give back to such an essential service to the community.”