Nike Co-Founder’s $1.1B Megagift to Transform Oregon Healthcare with First-of-Its-Kind All-Women’s HospitalNike Co-Founder’s $1.1B Megagift to Transform Oregon Healthcare with First-of-Its-Kind All-Women’s Hospital

PORTLAND, Ore. — In one of the largest philanthropic commitments to healthcare in U.S. history, Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife, Penny, have pledged $1.1 billion to Providence St. Vincent Medical Center and the Providence Heart Institute in Oregon.

The monumental gift is designed to fundamentally reshape the region's medical infrastructure, with a specific focus on specialized female healthcare and advanced cardiac treatment.
A cornerstone of this historic megagift is the creation of a dedicated, all-women’s hospital, a rarity in the American healthcare landscape.

This specialized facility aims to revolutionize female-specific healthcare at a time when national conversations around maternal mortality and women's health outcomes are at a fever pitch. The hospital will offer comprehensive services ranging from advanced maternal care to gender-specific oncology, addressing long-standing gaps in specialized medical infrastructure.

Furthermore, the billion-dollar infusion will dramatically advance cardiovascular care across the state, recognizing that heart disease remains a leading health threat that often presents differently in women than in men.

Funds are heavily earmarked for state-of-the-art technology and equipment upgrades at the Providence Heart Institute, alongside expanded patient support programs designed to treat complex cardiac conditions.

"Providence has shown that kind of ambition in cardiovascular care, and we see the same opportunity to do something truly transformational for women," Phil Knight noted regarding the dual focus of their philanthropy.

Healthcare executives have hailed the donation as a "transformational moment" for the region, fundamentally altering the landscape of Pacific Northwest medicine.

The Knights, with Phil having stepped down as Nike chairman in 2016 while remaining chair emeritus, are no strangers to reshaping Oregon’s medical ecosystem.

This latest commitment builds upon their legacy of monumental giving, which includes previous massive investments in the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Knight Cancer Institute.

By directing this new capital toward Providence, a Catholic health system, the couple is diversifying the state's healthcare safety net and ensuring that specialized, high-acuity care remains accessible locally.

As the broader healthcare sector grapples with tightening margins, staffing shortages, and aging infrastructure, private philanthropy of this magnitude serves as a critical catalyst for innovation. The Knights' $1.1 billion pledge ensures that Oregon will remain at the forefront of specialized medical care, setting a new national benchmark for targeted, high-impact healthcare philanthropy.