Thanks to your generosity, 2024 was a transformative year for University Health Foundation. Your contributions directly enhanced patient care, expanded critical services and provided life-saving equipment to University Health patients and families.
Strengthening critical medical care teams| $4.85M
Your donations helped recruit and expand specialized teams in Pediatric Cardiology, Anesthesia, Pediatric Trauma, Pediatric Palliative Care and Child Life Services allowing University Health to provide care to more patients from our community and beyond.
Supporting maternal mental health | $1.6M
Licensed social workers (LMSWs & LCSWs) are now able to provide essential mental health support to mothers before, during and after pregnancy, ensuring healthier outcomes for both moms and babies.
Advancing medical equipment and programs | $4.6M
Your gifts enabled the purchase of clinical equipment that ensures patients receive the highest standard of care. These investments revolutionize surgery and diagnosis, expand access to lifesaving resources and empower patient mobility in rehabilitation.
Enhancing precision in surgery and diagnostics, reducing complications and speeding up recovery.
Blood donor bus
Making blood donation more accessible across the community, ensuring a steady supply for those in need.
Exoskeleton
Helping patients with spinal cord injuries regain movement and independence.
Enabling faster, more accurate diagnoses for critical care patients.
Milk Bank
Providing vital nutrition to premature and medically fragile newborns.
daVinci & Ion robots CT scanner
How philanthropy transformed maternal mental health in 2024
Each year, an estimated 500,000 pregnant women in the United States experience a mental health condition before or during pregnancy, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Guided by expertise and compassion, University Health clinics are dedicated to ensuring women across our community receive the care they need, no matter what stage of life there are in, including the miraculous journey of becoming a mother.
University Health takes this care beyond hospital walls by sending nurses into patients’ homes to screen them for maternal mental health concerns. If symptoms of depression, suicidal ideation or other disorders are identified, mothers are immediately referred to providers for support.
During 2024, University Health Foundation provided $1.6 million to fund full-time licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs). With compassionate mental health support embedded directly within the clinical setting at University Health, mothers no longer have to navigate their challenges alone. With this addition, timely interventions and ongoing care are leading to healthier pregnancies, safer births and stronger families around Bexar County.
Generous donors, including Mary Alice and David A. Ayon, made this transformation possible. The couple are longtime supporters of University Health Foundation. Their most recent gift was made with the intent to support the expansion of maternal mental health services.
“Supporting maternal mental health is personal for me,” Mary Alice said. “I remember how isolating it felt to struggle with anxiety and depression during and after pregnancy. I want other women to know they’re not alone, and that help is available when they need it most.”
Mary Alice’s passion for this cause originated from her own lived experience. As a health psychologist, owner of Alamo Mind Body Wellness and former director of the Center for Caring and Spiritual Care at University Health, she brings both professional expertise and a personal understanding of the emotional challenges many women face during pregnancy and postpartum. After experiencing her own pregnancy loss and years of anxiety and depression, she felt called to help other mothers access the kind of support she once needed.
“This is such an outstanding opportunity for our mothers at University Health. Having direct access to a licensed clinical social worker instead of waiting weeks or months makes a world of difference,” said Diana Gonzales, director of Ambulatory Services at University Health. “My hope is that one day, every mother sees a licensed clinical social worker right after being screened.”
University Health’s new blood bus and its boost in blood donations
In hospitals across the country, having access to a reliable blood supply can mean the difference between life and death, especially in emergencies. At University Health, that need is even greater.
Home to one of the only Level I trauma centers for adults and children in South Texas, University Health is the largest user of blood in the greater San Antonio area. Consistent blood donations from volunteers through its in-house Blood Donor Services are essential, and every donation helps ensure that patients, ranging from those undergoing routine surgeries to those experiencing major trauma, receive the care they urgently need.
To put the demand for this resource into perspective, while the average adult has about 10 units of blood in their body, some severely injured patients at University Health have required more than 150 units of commonly transfused blood products to survive. These high-demand cases quickly deplete the hospital’s reserves, highlighting the importance of having a strong and accessible blood donation program.
In 2024, thanks to the generous support of University Health Foundation and lead donor Toyota Texas, that access got a major boost with the launch of a brand-new blood donation bus. This 45-foot-long, state-of-the-art vehicle has made blood donations more convenient and more visible across the community.
“The bus allows us to host drives in places we simply couldn’t before,” said Debra Serna, assistant director of Pathology Services at University Health. “We’ve visited organizations without the indoor space to hold a blood drive, connected with donors who couldn’t travel to the hospital and even extended our reach to areas outside the city.”
Since the blood bus rolled out in October 2024, University Health has seen an 11% increase in blood donations per month. In addition, as of early September 2025, the blood bus has collected more than 336 units of blood that might not have been collected otherwise. With four donation chairs and the ability to collect from up to 10 donors per hour, the mobile unit is helping meet the rising demand while breaking down barriers to giving for those who may not be able to travel to the hospital or other donation sites throughout the community.
The Blood Bus has already proven to be a key asset for University Health, as it provides universal, inclusive and accessible mobility solutions for all our neighbors in San Antonio. The bus is also a reminder to people across the region that when they give blood through University Health, they are directly helping patients in their own community – patients in emergency rooms, operating rooms and intensive care units.
University Health Foundation is proud to support this life saving initiative and is deeply grateful to our donors whose generosity brought this vision to life. As the bus continues to travel the streets of the city’s urban landscape, the hope is that it empowers more people to give blood and save lives.
"For 40 years, University Health Foundation has expanded and transformed to meet the growing and changing needs of University Health and the community. We are profoundly grateful to our donors whose generosity makes this work possible. Thank you for being part of this incredible journey."
-Sara M. Alger, CFRE President, University Health Foundation
Because of you...
More patients were able to access life-changing care.
Families had access to the support and services they need.
University Health was equipped with cutting-edge technology to improve outcomes and save lives.
Thank you! Your generosity is transforming the future of health care.
For
contact
Foundation at (210) 358-9860 or Foundation@uhtx.com.
