Dr. John Tremper Macdonald was a well-known and respected surgeon and gynecologist who practiced medicine in Miami and Coral Gables from 1934 until his death at age 66 in 1951. Though not a native, he became an important part of the history of the area and in its progressive growth.

Born in Philadelphia, he served in World War I as assistant divisional surgeon of the 78th Division. He was a member of the surgical staffs of Montgomery General and Riverview Hospitals in Norristown, PA, and resident physician at Samaritan Hospital in Philadelphia. After relocating to Miami in 1934, he did most of his work at University Hospital (later known as Coral Gables Hospital) which was owned and operated by Mary Reeder, wife of former Mayor Reeder of Miami, and Edythe Harrison, R.N.  An authority on tropical diseases, he established himself as a leader in Aviation Medicine and was appointed Flight Surgeon for Pan American Airways in 1938. Dr. Macdonald became Medical Director of their Latin American Division in 1944 and played a key role in developing medical safeguards that served the World War II pilots as well as the thousands of Pan American employees in Latin America.  These safeguards were the foundation for the elaborate medical testing program for Pan Am pilots and flight crews, which became the standard for the industry.  An ardent yachtsman, Dr. Macdonald served as commodore of the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club during the War and later was vice commodore.  He was a familiar figure in his schooner, “Blue Stream,” as he sailed Biscayne Bay.

After the War, the medical needs of the area grew significantly. Recognizing that facilities were not available to meet those needs, he and a small group of doctors (including Dr. Joseph H. Lucinian, Dr. A. D. Amerise, Dr. James K. McShane, Dr. Arthur H. Weiland, Dr. Herbert W. Virgin, Jr., Mrs. J. Mary Reeder and Miss Edythe Harrison, R.N.) became the driving force to build a new hospital in Coral Gables. Obtaining financial backing was difficult but they and other doctors in the area pooled resources and the appropriately named DOCTORS’ HOSPITAL became a reality. Ground-breaking was May 10, 1948, and patients were admitted in July of 1949. Dr. Macdonald continued to serve his community and remained an important contributor to Aviation Medicine for the remainder of his life.

Upon his death in 1951, the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation was established to honor him. In 1957, the Foundation purchased the hospital and it became a fully not-for-profit community hospital.  In 1992, the transition continued when the hospital was purchased by HealthSouth Rehabilitation Corporation, a for-profit corporation based in Birmingham, Alabama.

The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation was restructured to become a grant-making foundation, one of a rapidly growing number of “conversion foundations” - i.e., foundations created when non-profit health care providers are sold to for-profit corporations.

Realizing the importance of keeping the focus of the Foundation’s assets ($13.5 million at the outset) on addressing the health and medical needs of the Coral Gables and Miami-Dade County community, the Board began the thoughtful process of becoming an effective participant in our community.

Policies, procedures and guidelines have been established to provide direction while maintaining flexibility as needs change and focus evolves. The Foundation's distribution of over $26 million through more than 230 community-based grants since 1992 is a fitting tribute to Dr. Macdonald, a man whose life was spent giving back to his community in the most meaningful way possible - by identifying needs, seeking solutions and working with people and organizations to make Miami-Dade County, Florida a healthier place to live.