Sansum Clinic has received a gift from the estate of Lucile Graham, the nonprofit medical organization announced
Graham is the widow of Walter Graham, M.D., a renowned orthopedic surgeon with the former Santa Barbara Medical Foundation Clinic, now Sansum Clinic.
The gift of $712,777 is earmarked for the Sansum Clinic Endowment as an investment in the future good health of the Santa Barbara community.
Longtime Santa Barbarans may remember Dr. Graham as a leader in orthopedic surgery during and after World War II. He was known for the then revolutionary procedure of toe transplants to the hand to make thumbs for injured soldiers. This was at a time when the practice of medicine was very different and lemon orchards covered most of the South Coast.
The Grahams’ commitment to quality health care resulted in a similar gift to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation to be used to help rebuild Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
Jennifer Goddard is a publicist.