Hoag has announced a $25 million gift that will establish the CareMar Recovery Center, a new comprehensive addiction treatment powerhouse unlike any other in Orange County, on Hoag’s campus. The facility will deliver wraparound services for people seeking recovery and families impacted by the related challenges.
The gift was made by members of the Martin and Pickup families, Newport Beach philanthropists who have long supported Hoag in ways that shaped its services and programs.
Carole Pickup, mother of Devon Martin and Todd Pickup, was the inspiration behind the contribution made by her family, honoring her decades of advocacy for substance use recovery resources across Orange County.
Together, Carole Pickup, Devon Martin and her husband Kevin Martin, along with Todd Pickup and his wife Natalie Pickup, made the generous gift to create a new, multi-level facility on the south campus of Hoag Hospital Newport Beach, facing the Pacific Coast Highway.
“It’s been a longtime goal of our family to work with Hoag to create a facility that people know they can turn to with the resources to change their lives for the better,” said Devon Martin, who also serves on the Hoag Hospital Foundation Board of Directors. “We see this gift as a first step toward making that a reality for everyone, no matter where they are in their recovery journey,” she said.
The family’s gift will launch the development of the CareMar Recovery Center, and Hoag has committed financial support in addition to raising more funding to advance the project.
“We are immensely grateful to the Martin and Pickup families for their continued investment in Hoag and elevating our community’s health,” said Caroline A. Pereira, MBA, president of the Hoag Hospital Foundation. “Their shared objective to help those impacted by substance use will result in a one-of-a-kind center that will serve many.”
Main features of this state-of-the-art center are the home-like residential quarters for residents, private consultation rooms, and indoor and outdoor communal spaces that promote wellness and collaboration. Expert staff, including physicians, therapists, drug and alcohol counselors, and other specialists, are envisioned to be part of the comprehensive team.
Building a dedicated addiction treatment facility with a larger capacity has been a priority for Hoag, which has already been delivering recovery care and services to individuals in its existing clinical spaces.
“We see a major need for it in Orange County, and our vision is a first-in-class facility that expands Hoag’s ability to deliver our vital services for addiction support and care,” said Robert Braithwaite, president and CEO of Hoag. “This gift will put our plans into action, and with addiction, moving fast is paramount to saving lives.”
Hoag physician leader Michael Brant-Zawadzki, MD, FACR, vice president of clinical research administration, CATALiST, and addiction services, will be instrumental in the development of this center and is closely familiar with the growing need. “Our society is being overwhelmed by these disorders,” he said. “The 100,000 lives lost annually to overdose in the United States and the millions more ruined because of addiction’s impacts are shocking. It demands that Hoag lead the way in addressing this crisis.”
Substance use and recovery is a passion area of the Martin and Pickup families. Bringing a center to Orange County with the ability to serve many people was a longstanding goal. Todd Pickup said: “The CareMar center at Hoag will fill a gap we have in our region for comprehensive care in all stages of treatment and recovery. Its location on a hospital campus will make sure that clinical safety and access to physicians and medical staff are always available. We are proud to make this investment for a next-level facility for all those in need.”
Major initiatives for this facility will center around increasing access to care and creating a robust roster of customized services. Part of the vision for this facility is to help alleviate financial obstacles to treatment by providing scholarships and other support to navigate care.
Tailoring programs to each patient will set apart the CareMar center at Hoag, which emphasizes personalized patient-centered care across all areas. In addition to detox, clinical care, and treatment services, other offerings are planned, including those that serve family support systems, residents and outpatients, long-term success, group sessions, wellness activities, and focused tracks for women, people with trauma, and more.
Carole Pickup, the CareMar center’s namesake, has made it a personal mission to bring substance use services to people in need.
“It’s a blessing to be able to give to help others heal and live happier lives. It’s been rewarding for me to dedicate so much of my life to raising awareness and resources for people living with the challenges of addiction,” she said. “So many people need a safe place and compassionate experts around them to lift them up. I am grateful my family can join with Hoag to create this center for our community.”
For more information, visit www.boldlyhoag.org or www.hoaghospitalfoundation.org.
