UCSF Medical Center names Dede Wilsey to lead new philanthropic effort
Diane "Dede" Wilsey -----
UCSF Medical Center has named Diane “Dede” Wilsey to lead the philanthropic effort on behalf of UCSF Medical Center’s new state-of-the art clinical facility planned for construction at Mission Bay.
The new Mission Bay hospital complex will include: a 183-bed UCSF Children’s Hospital to replace inpatient services located at the existing children’s hospital at Parnassus Heights, a 36-bed women’s specialty hospital and a 70-bed cancer hospital to replace inpatient facilities at UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion. The cost to build this new facility is estimated to be at least $1.2 billion, with a minimum of $500 million needed from private philanthropy.
Wilsey served as chair of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s capital campaign to rebuild the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, securing more than $200 million in funding from more than 7,000 private donors. In her role as president of the Museums’ board of trustees, she mobilized a broad spectrum of support.
“I could not have hoped for a more dynamic, dedicated and hardworking fundraiser than Dede Wilsey to lead our efforts,” said UCSF Medical Center CEO Mark Laret. “UCSF is already regarded as one of the best hospitals in the nation and by building these new facilities we will bring our services to an entirely new level. Building a new world-class hospital where caregivers can provide outstanding and inspired care to patients and their families is essential to our mission. With Dede Wilsey’s leadership, we can seize this rare moment to advance medical history for the Bay Area and the world.”
Wilsey has served on many of the most prestigious boards in San Francisco, including the San Francisco Opera, the San Francisco Ballet, UCSF and Grace Cathedral. She has led capital campaigns for Grace Cathedral and the Immaculate Conception Academy in addition to the de Young.
The daughter of the late Wiley Buchanan, President Dwight Eisenhower’s chief of protocol and one time US ambassador to Luxembourg and Austria, she grew up in Washington, DC, but has been in the Bay Area for a number of years, with homes in San Francisco and the Napa Valley. She is the widow of Alfred Wilsey, who died in 2002.
“I am thrilled to be involved in an effort to build what will surely be the most innovative medical facility in not only California, but far beyond,” Wilsey said. “With premier programs and world-renowned experts in children’s, women’s and cancer care, this is the first major step for UCSF in a grand vision that will improve the delivery of healthcare in the Bay Area, California and the world.”
UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Children’s Hospital are recognized throughout the world as leaders in health care and are known for innovative medicine, advanced technology and compassionate care. For almost a century, UCSF Medical Center has offered unparalleled medical treatment. Expertise covers virtually all conditions, including cancer, heart disease, infertility, neurological disorders, organ transplantation and orthopedics, as well as special services for women and children.