Why does Peter give?
“Because I believe we have a responsibility to more than ourselves.”

If you knew much about Peter Schwartz, you wouldn’t be surprised that he has included a generous gift to Bridgeport Hospital in his living trust.

For starters, he has long family ties to Bridgeport. Around 1918, his grandparents settled in Bridgeport, opened a dry-cleaning business (Rapoport’s) and raised their family. Peter’s mother and two aunts all attended Bridgeport public schools. Later his Uncle Arnold Kaplan opened an insurance business there. Both businesses became Bridgeport fixtures.

Peter was always extremely close to his Bridgeport relatives and visited them often from Manhattan, where he spent 40 years of his life.

Peter’s connection to Bridgeport Hospital came decades later, after he moved to Bethel, Connecticut, following a career in public relations, fundraising and law.

At a routine checkup with his cardiologist in 2018, Peter was startled when his doctor informed him that he had a serious malfunction with his mitral heart valve. Tests confirmed there was considerable leakage, which would require a difficult repair.

Peter’s search for the best person to perform his procedure led quickly to Yale New Haven Health System and cardiac surgeon Michael Dewar, MD. His valve repair was successfully performed at Bridgeport Hospital.

Peter cannot speak highly enough about the care he received from the entire hospital staff. “They were first-rate in every way,” he says. “Even the lovely lady in the kitchen called every day to make sure I was eating.”

After he was discharged, Peter wanted to express his gratitude to Bridgeport Hospital in a lasting manner. When he learned there was an opportunity to direct his gift to the hospital’s Primary Care Center, he immediately knew this was an area worthy of his support, as the lack of accessible health care for those without adequate health insurance had long been a pressing concern.

“I looked for an area that would benefit a large cross section of the greater population,” Peter says, “because I believe we have a responsibility to more than ourselves.”