The Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation recently announced the appointment of Dr. Lynn Fitzgibbons to the Craig Mally and Louise Stewart, MD, Endowed Chair in Graduate Medical Education, effective from 25th July 2025. This decision not only reflects Dr. Fitzgibbons’ significant contributions to medical education but also upholds the generosity displayed by Craig Mally and Dr. Louise Stewart, whose philanthropic support enabled the inception of this endowed position. The endowment fuels their unwavering commitment to superior healthcare in Santa Barbara, influenced by their prior positive engagements with Cottage Health. The introduction of this endowed position will fortify Cottage’s graduate medical education scheme through support for clinical research, specialized training, and state-of-the-art technology.
Scott Wester, President and CEO of Cottage Health, spoke highly of Dr. Fitzgibbons’ compassionate leadership and clinical excellence, which continuously uplifts the graduate medical education at Cottage Health. Since joining Cottage Health in 2014, Dr. Fitzgibbons has made a considerable impact across various roles within the organization and the broader community. As Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program, Medical Director for the Cottage Center for Population Health, and in other positions, she has led considerable efforts in infection prevention and public health. Her career at Cottage Health has been marked with honors like Cottage Health’s Outstanding Physician of the Year, the Central Coast Medical Association’s Physician of the Year, and the 2025 LEAP Award. Her critical leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic further validated her medical expertise and thoughtful leadership. As she continues to shape the future of medicine, Dr. Fitzgibbons remains influential in preparing future health leaders.
Dr. Fitzgibbons expressed her gratitude for the recognition and to Mr. Craig Mally and Dr. Louise Stewart for boosting graduate medical education at Cottage. She confirmed her commitment to fostering residents’ growth as they embody the future of care. At Cottage, the emphasis lies in learning, service, and excellence, which she is privileged to support.
Andrew Brown, VP of Advancement at Cottage Health, underlined the transformative role of philanthropy in their mission to train future healthcare leaders. Not only does an endowment like this have a lasting impact within the hospital, but also it greatly benefits the health of the entire community.
Recognizing excellence, the Cottage Health’s endowed positions attract and retain top medical talents by bolstering innovation, collaboration, and advancements in medical education. Speaking on the institution, Cottage Health is a not-for-profit health system that provides cutting-edge medical care on California’s Central Coast. Its spectrum of services also includes a range of clinics, urgent care centers, and 24/7 provider access via Cottage Virtual Care.