On May 17, the hospital dedicated the Larry and Fern Bensignor Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology (CVIR) Laboratory, a state-of-the-art space designed to deliver life-saving treatment for heart attacks and strokes. Hospital leaders, friends and family gathered to celebrate.
For Larry Bensignor, this moment was deeply personal.
In 2016, he survived a widowmaker heart attack thanks to the rapid response and Dr. Rajeev Patel, an interventional cardiologist with Adventist HealthCare Cardiac Associates, and Shady Grove’s cardiac care team. That experience became the catalyst for an extraordinary act of generosity.
“Shady Grove Medical Center saved my life,” Larry shared during the ceremony. “Fern and I want to make sure that future patients… have at least the same level of care that I had, so they can have the same successful outcome.”
From Gratitude to Action
The Bensignors’ gift, which included an immediate contribution and a future commitment, supports Shady Grove’s new Horizon Tower, opening June 14. An essential element of the new space is its upgraded CVIR lab, which will house three advanced procedure rooms to treat cardiac and neurovascular cases.
Guests at the dedication had the opportunity to tour the new lab, getting a firsthand look at the cutting-edge technology that will soon be used for critical interventions for patients. Positioned closer to the Emergency Department, the lab is designed to reduce time to treatment, a factor that can mean the difference between life and death in heart attack and stroke care.
Hospital President Daniel Cochran reflected on the impact of the Bensignors’ generosity:
“Larry and Fern’s legacy will benefit patients for decades. Their commitment is helping us deliver world-class cardiovascular and stroke care — when every second matters.”
A Blessing for Healing, and for the Future
The dedication ceremony was marked by a moving blessing that underscored the deeper meaning of the space.
Grounded in the Jewish tradition of hakarat hatov — recognizing and giving thanks for goodness — the hospital chaplain reminded those gathered that saving one life is akin to saving an entire world.
That sentiment resonated powerfully in a room shaped by one saved life now paying it forward.
The blessing honored not only the Bensignors, but every clinician who will work in the space:
May their hands be steady
May their minds be clear
May their hearts remain open to every soul who enters
It also captured the essence of the gift itself, an act of tzedakah and tikkun olam, repairing the world through compassion and action.
Perhaps most poignantly, the chaplain shared a simple, universal hope for every future patient:
May all who enter here in fear depart in peace.
May all who enter in pain leave in comfort.
May those uncertain of their days be given more, even their best ones.
A Legacy That Lives One Patient at a Time
For Larry and Fern Bensignor, recognition was never the goal. While the lab now bears their name, what matters most to them is what happens inside it.
“We appreciate the honor,” Larry said, “but we appreciate more what the lab will do for the next emergency patient, and the one after that, and the one after that.”
Looking Ahead
The opening of the Horizon Tower marks a new chapter for Shady Grove Medical Center, one defined by innovation, compassion, and community.
And at the base of the tower, on its First Floor, Larry and Fern Bensignor CVIR Lab stands a powerful reminder: Gratitude can become action, and action can save lives.
Consider your own gift in thanks for the hospital’s care. Visit AdventistSGMC.com/Give
