St. Pete residents make largest single donation to Bayfront Health

Bayfront Health received a “transformative” $2 million donation from a St. Petersburg couple.

The donation from philanthropist Thomas James, Chairman Emeritus of Raymond James Financial, and his wife Mary James is the largest one-time gift Bayfront Health has received in its 114-year history, according to a hospital spokesperson. The James’ contribution will help the hospital build a Cardiac Hybrid Operating Room at Bayfront Health St. Petersburg, an operating suite designed to allow multiple medical specialists to perform specialized procedures in the same setting.

A $1 million donation from the couple in 2006 enabled the not-for-profit hospital to create the James Heart Center, a hub for cardiovascular care on the hospital’s 6th Avenue South campus.

“We are profoundly grateful for the James’ tremendous generosity and unwavering commitment to our organization and community,” John A. Moore, Senior Vice President of Orlando Health West Region and Bayfront Health St. Petersburg president, said in a prepared statement. “This remarkable donation will enable us to further provide exceptional healthcare, ultimately enhancing the well-being of our patients and the broader community we serve.”

Bayfront Health, a 480-bed hospital and the only state-accredited Level Two Adult Trauma Center in the St. Petersburg region, was acquired by Orlando Health in 2020. Bayfront Health partnered with the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg to donate a combined $4.8 million in equity-driven grant funding to 30 local charitable organizations, which were announced last week.

James and his wife are well-known in the community; they founded the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg in 2018, where thousands of pieces from the James’ personal collection are on display.

A rendering showing the northwest perspective of the Bayfront Health Medical Pavilion – Institute Square. Image provided.