MARBLEHEAD — Gordon Hall has been a lover of the outdoors since he was a young child, when he would go fly fishing with his father on Moosehead Lake in Maine.
Now at age 89, with three artificial joints and having undergone several cardiac procedures, Hall is still able to get outside and cross country ski, and he credits North Shore Medical Center for his continued vitality.
Marblehead residents Hall and his wife, Taffy, have donated $500,000 to the North Shore Medical Center’s Department of Cardiology. Hall is a retired real estate investor and broker, and currently serves on the board of several New England nonprofits, including Conservation Law Foundation, Chewonki Foundation, Forest Society of Maine, and The Enterprise Center at Salem State.
According to North Shore Medical Center spokeswoman Allison Epstein, the cardiac treatment facilities at Salem Hospital will be renamed the Hall Family Heart Center.
Hall has had several cardiac procedures over the last two decades. He and his wife decided to make the donation after the excellent treatment he received allowed him to continue activities, including skiing, playing tennis, and sailboat racing, into his old age. He still is able to cross country ski, and said the community deserves an “excellent hospital” like that in Salem.
“Gratitude is a powerful motivator,” Hall said.
Hall also said the closing of the Lynn Union Hospital necessitates more of Lynn’s residents having to go to the hospital in Salem for emergency services. Because Salem Hospital now essentially serves a “big darn city” such as Lynn, the need for top-notch technology and treatment at the hospital is even greater, Hall said.
Dr. David J. Roberts, North Shore Medical Center president and CEO, is a cardiologist who treated Hall as a patient over the last 20 years. According to Roberts, the $500,000 donation will help North Shore Medical Center “stay at the forefront of treatment for the patients in this community” by investing in the department’s equipment.
“Gordon’s gift is especially meaningful in a field like cardiology that is always evolving,” Roberts said. “Cardiology is a technology-driven subspecialty, and the speed of advances requires significant, continual investments in new and upgraded equipment.”
Hall’s treatment included the “full spectrum of leading-edge care” from North Shore Medical Center cardiac specialists in collaboration with specialists from Massachusetts General Hospital, according to Epstein.
Specifically, Hall needed treatment for arterial blockage and cardiac arrhythmia. Procedures included stenting, cardioversion, and cardiac ablation.
“Dr. Roberts and NSMC not only provided the best treatment and most comfortable care I’ve ever had, but also made it possible for me to keep doing the things I love,” Hall said.
Hall said his treatment, coupled with physical condition, allowed him to avoid surgeries with lengthy recovery times. Instead, he never felt slowed down and continued canoeing, swimming, fly fishing and many other outdoor activities into his 80s.
In addition to upgrading equipment, Hall’s donation will allow North Shore Medical Center to renovate its Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory.
“When a patient has a heart attack, the Cath Lab is where we take them for procedures that reopen blocked arteries and restore blood flow and function to the heart,” Roberts said. “With this generous gift, the unit will be renovated to improve patient privacy and the overall patient experience.
“The importance of philanthropic support for these types of building and renovation projects cannot be overstated and we are most grateful.”
Several years ago, Hall donated $300,000 to North Shore Medical Center. He said the atmosphere at the hospital is positive and uplifting for patients.
“When you’re a patient there and noticing all the things going on around you, the esprit de corps of the staff is terrific. Everyone is good natured and treats each other well,” Hall said. “I’m happy with every nickel I’ve given them.”
