$13M Gift Creates Cedars-Sinai Holoman Health Equity Center

A transformative $13 million donation from Eric Holoman and Terri Holoman will shape the future of health equity at Cedars-Sinai.

The Holoman gift establishes the Cedars-Sinai Holoman Health Equity Center and endows the Holoman Chair in Health Equity, to be held by Christina Harris, MD, vice president and chief health equity officer at Cedars-Sinai.

"We are grateful to Eric and Terri Holoman for their civic-minded vision to help balance the scales in health equity reform," said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer at Cedars-Sinai. "This gift reflects deep alignment between the Holomans' values and Cedars-Sinai's."

Health equity has been a bedrock of Cedars-Sinai's mission to offer hope and healing to all, regardless of factors including, but not limited to, race, religion, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status.

Yet, evolving challenges in healthcare access and delivery, in combination with long-standing systemic barriers, make this a pivotal time that calls for re-evaluation and restructuring of processes and procedures, Harris said. Many people still face obstacles including coverage and affordability gaps that are inextricably tied to social determinants of health such as income, housing, transportation and education.

Harris said she will use her platform as the Holoman Chair in Health Equity to drive comprehensive programs and research.

"This endowed chair is, in many ways, a commitment to the profound legacy of the late Linda Burnes Bolton, DrPH, RN, FAAN," Harris said. "She became Cedars-Sinai's first chief health equity officer after launching the Office of Health Equity in 2019. I am honored to carry this mission forward, standing on the shoulders of her esteemed leadership."

Cedars-Sinai hosted a dinner in honor of the Holomans at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills on May 27. Highly regarded nationally for their philanthropy, the Holoman family is a long-time supporter of Cedars-Sinai. Over the past decade, they have contributed to the medical center to support the Neurosurgery Scholars Program and The Brain Trust, a volunteer group that advances fundraising and awareness in support of the work of Keith Black, MD. Black is chair of the Department of Neurosurgery and the Ruth and Lawrence Harvey Chair in Neuroscience.

Eric, an insurance and finance entrepreneur, sits on the Cedars-Sinai Board of Directors. He is also minority owner of the Washington Commanders, managing partner of the Los Angeles Sparks and a member of the WNBA Board of Governors.

Terri, a collector of African American art, is on the board of the California African American Museum and a founding member of its foundation. She also sits on the boards of the USC Black Alumni Association and St. Anne's Family Services, a Los Angeles nonprofit.

"I invest for a living and I feel like we're investing in something important," Eric said. "Terri and I are fervently dedicated to helping local communities thrive, and that is exceedingly difficult without coordinated health services and patient support delivered not only in the hospital but, just as importantly, across Los Angeles neighborhoods."

Terri added, "This donation is one way we can effect positive change in marginalized communities across the region we call home."

As a data and innovation engine, the Cedars-Sinai Holoman Health Equity Center will identify opportunities to accelerate solutions for combatting health equity deficiencies by meeting goals, including:

• Expanding Cedars-Sinai's research equity infrastructure to increase inclusion in clinical research
• Deepening partnerships with local nonprofits and community resources, and advancing coordination of health services for comprehensive patient support
• Upgrading processes like data analytics to measure healthcare disparities
• Strengthening patient care and navigation through an equity dashboard interactive tool
• Equipping field teams to partner on health equity programs
• Enhancing the framework for care that links hospital affiliates across the Cedars-Sinai Health System

Peter L. Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai, said the medical center remains committed to upholding the highest standards of equitable care.

"Through this amazing gift, Cedars-Sinai will cultivate and sustain a stringent system of checks and balances to optimize health equity," said Slavin, the David and Meredith Kaplan Presidential Chair. "This will hold us accountable-as it should-across the board in clinical settings, research labs, conference rooms and local communities."

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