Massachusetts General Hospital Gets 'Generous' Pledge To Match $1 Million In Donations For Coronavirus Fight

BOSTON (AP) — A hedge fund executive and philanthropist pledged Monday to match donations up to $1 million to Massachusetts General Hospital's efforts to fight the coronavirus.

The pledge by Donald Sussman — founder and chief investment officer of Connecticut-based Paloma Partners — will benefit the Boston hospital's Emergency Response Fund, established in 2013 in response to the Boston Marathon bombing.

"From doctors and nurses on the front lines to scientists working to develop test and therapies, there is an unprecedented need for philanthropy at this moment," Sussman said in a statement released by the hospital.

The fund is currently being used to buy protective equipment, enhance telemedicine capabilities to provide care while preventing possible exposure to the virus, and helping subsidize child care costs for essential hospital employees.

"Donald Sussman's generous gift will enable us to increase our capacity, expand vital research, and leverage the considerable resources and the expertise behind our hospital-wide efforts in ways that are real, measurable and long-lasting," hospital President Dr. Peter Slavin said.

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