Dr. Krishne Urs, a philanthropist and orthopedic surgeon made a hefty donation to a New York-based university medical center on December 16th. According to the University, the Indian American physician provided the Richmond University Medical Center with $500,000 for its emergency department construction project, according to an silive.com report.
Dr. Urs’ pledge, which will go toward the medical center’s $65 million project, was made during a ceremony in the hospital’s MLB conference room. Daniel Messina, president and CEO of the hospital, accepted the donation from Dr. Urs, and thanked him for his generosity. “We would like to celebrate a very dedicated physician of the RUMC family and recognize Dr. Krishne Urs,” Messina said.
Dr. Urs received his medical degree with distinction from the University of Mysore in India. He arrived in New York City in 1962 and studied to become an orthopedic surgeon. Dr. Urs began his practice at St. Vincent’s Medical Center — now Richmond University Medical Center — in 1970. From 1986 to 2001, he served as chief of orthopaedic surgery at St. Vincent’s Medical Center.
Richmond University board chairwoman Kate Rooney, and Joe Torres, who chairs the capital campaign for the ER project, discussed Dr. Urs’ passion for philanthropy.
“Those of us who know Dr. Urs know that philanthropy and generosity are part of his soul and we at the hospital are so fortunate that he and his family have been so generous to our medical center,” said Rooney.
“I’d like to focus on what I feel is the greatest asset Dr. Urs has given us and that’s inspiration,” added Torres. “He told us, and I’m paraphrasing, when an opportunity arises to invest in infrastructure that is linked to such a vital community cause, it gives the donor an opportunity to have a lasting impact on the lives of their children and their grandchildren.”
Dr. Urs discussed the significance of the new emergency department project and what it means to give back to the community. “As many of you know, our community continues to grow and demands have been put on our hospital, especially our emergency room,” he said. “We have been treating over 65,000 patients a year in a space originally designed for 22,000 patients.
“I have spent my entire career in this hospital and it has been part of the fabric of my life and livelihood and I’m so grateful to give back to this organization and the people that it serves.”
