French Hospital Medical Center to Lower Flag to Half-Staff to Honor Philanthropist Jim Copeland

Local businessman and friend of the hospital passed Monday

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA – April 28, 2022 – In solidarity with San Luis Obispo residents and city offices, French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC), will lower its flag to half-staff on Sunday, May 1 in honor of longtime philanthropist Jim Copeland, who passed away on April 25 at 80 years old.

Copeland, a respected business leader and founder of Copeland’s Sports, is a dedicated community advocate who endeavors to make San Luis Obispo a better place for generations to come. Jim’s expertise and insightful wisdom guided the French Hospital Community Board for 16 years, including two years as Board Chair. In 2014, Copeland was recognized with French Hospital’s Louis Tedone, MD Humanitarian Award for his contributions to the community and health care.

His family’s generous support of FHMC and the Copeland, Forbes, and Rossi Cardiac Care Center, “French – Well into the Future” campaign, and the Copeland Health Education Pavilion are making a dramatic difference in the quality of health care available in San Luis Obispo County.

“Jim Copeland was not only an avid supporter of our hospital but a dear friend,” says Alan Iftiniuk, President and CEO, French Hospital Medical Center. “He shared in our vision for the future of health care in San Luis Obispo County, and was a steadfast advocate for our new facility, ensuring the highest levels of care to residents, well into the future. We will always remember him as a true humanitarian, and his legacy will live on in our hospital.”

The Performing Arts Center, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum, and Old Mission retrofit project represent only a few of the other organizations that have benefitted from Jim’s passion and dedication to enhancing our community. Jim and his brother Tom Copeland have also played a major role in the revitalization and beautification of downtown San Luis Obispo.

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About French Hospital Medical Center

French Hospital Medical Center is a state-of-the-art, 112-bed acute care hospital located in San Luis Obispo, California. French’s Oppenheimer Family Center for Emergency Medicine is the area’s most advanced emergency services center. The modern facility is home to the Copeland, Forbes, and Rossi Cardiac Care Center, is the county’s premier cardiac center, providing the latest cardiac and imaging technology, and the Hearst Cancer Resource Center offering free education, resources, and support to cancer patients and their families.

French Hospital Medical Center together with Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, and Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, make up Dignity Health Central Coast, a network of hospitals, physicians, and outpatient services including physician offices, ambulatory surgery centers, and technologically-advanced laboratories and imaging centers, and a full-service home health agency. To learn more, visit dignityhealth.org/frenchhospital.