Kim and James Taylor Contribute $1 Million to Mass General’s COVID-19 Efforts

BOSTON – Beloved Boston singer/songwriter James Taylor and his wife, Kim, have contributed $1 million to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) to support the institution’s ongoing efforts to battle the escalating coronavirus pandemic that has threatened the health and well-being of millions across the nation and around the world. The generous gift, announced today by Mass General, will enable the hospital to direct resources where the need is greatest, whether purchasing supplies and equipment, repurposing space, or furthering research seeking treatments and means of prevention for COVID-19.

“There is no question that it’s a point of pride for New Englanders to claim the MGH as their hospital – our hospital – and this is especially true today with the threat coming from a new and insidious virus,” said James Taylor. “Kim and I want to be part of this fight. We have been so inspired by the courage and sacrifice of the health care heroes in the trenches who are working so hard to protect us all.”

Calling the current pandemic an “unprecedented time of deep concern,” Kim Taylor added, “The MGH is a place that is looked to for leadership – clinical, scientific and ethical – in humanity’s fight against the danger that is around us. We are proud to support a medical center that is leading the way on so many fronts.”

The Taylor’s gift will support the MGH President’s Emergency Response Fund, established in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing to provide flexible resources that can be deployed quickly to support immediate needs. For the COVID-19 outbreak, these funds are supporting development of in-house testing, establishing a coronavirus hotline for patients, allowing spaces in the hospital to be quickly transformed to accommodate COVID patients, expanding telemedicine capabilities, and purchasing personal protective equipment.

“The generosity of James and Kim Taylor will not only help Mass General respond to this outbreak but will also provide a meaningful morale boost to our caregivers, the many staff who support them, and the scientists who are working to defeat this scourge,” said Peter L. Slavin, MD, president of the MGH. “The Taylors have long provided comfort and hope through music, and this latest gift embodies that same sense of humanity and sends a heartening message to our staff that their efforts are appreciated, and they are not in this fight alone.”

Both James and Kim Taylor have deep ties to Mass General. James’s father, Isaac, earned his medical degree at Harvard, then completed his residency in internal medicine, served as chief resident and conducted research at the MGH – where James was born. Kim has served on the board of the Mass General for Children for the past five years. In 2016, the Taylors performed at a benefit event for the MGH Cancer Center, helping to raise $2.6 million.

James Taylor is one of the most prolific, successful and well-known singers of the modern era. His five-decade career has been highlighted by five Grammy Awards, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a Presidential Medal of Freedom and recognition as a Kennedy Center Honoree. His recently released album “American Standard” currently tops the charts, and his new biographical audiobook “Break Shot” provides a personal look at his first 21 years. Kim serves as a trustee of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, where she spent 25 years working with such renowned conductors as Seiji Ozawa and John Williams. She was appointed by President Obama to the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. James and Kim are the parents of twin high school-aged sons, Henry and Rufus.

About Massachusetts General Hospital

Founded in 1811, Massachusetts General Hospital is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and the third oldest hospital in the nation. Each year, the 1,100-bed academic medical center cares for more than 50,000 inpatients, records more than 1.5 million outpatient and emergency visits, and delivers more than 3,800 babies. The MGH is consistently ranked among the top hospitals in the nation and is currently #2 on the US News & World Report list of “America’s Best Hospitals.” The MGH Research Institute conducts the largest hospital-based scientific program in the nation, with annual research expenditures of more than $1 billion and comprising more than 8,500 researchers working across more than 30 institutes, centers and departments.