Ronald O. Perelman, chairman of MacAndrews and Forbes Holdings Inc., has made a $50 million gift to the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center to be equally divided between NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC). The gift will establish the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Care Institute and support new research and clinical care initiatives at the internationally renowned Center for Reproductive Medicine -- now renamed the Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine.

"The cardiac institute will not only treat patients, but also educate and advocate -- particularly to women, who still falsely believe they are at less risk -- about preventive measures to reduce heart disease," said Perelman, who also serves a member of the Board of Trustees of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and the Board of Overseers at WCMC. "I am also honored to continue to support the great work of WCMC and Dr. Zev Rosenwaks in the field of reproductive medicine and dedicate it to Claudia Cohen, who was such a great admirer of Dr. Rosenwaks." Claudia Cohen, now deceased, was once married to Perelman.

David P. Hajjar, senior executive vice dean and executive vice provost of WCMC, said Perelman's gift "will make the gift of life a reality for the people of New York and the rest of the world."

The new heart institute will function as a "medical town square" with a patient-friendly welcome center, a clinical trials enrollment center and an interactive education resource center that will include the latest medical information on heart disease -- with an added focus on cardiac disease in women. The heart institute will connect all cardiac services from treating life-threatening arrhythmia to complex coronary artery disease. The gift will also make possible the recruitment of additional top-ranked physician-scientists, and the promotion of translational and clinical research efforts aimed at new ways to diagnose and treat patients with heart disease. New interventional cardiology labs will be equipped with the latest technology and allow physicians to continue to develop advances in minimally invasive procedures that ensure quicker recovery and shorter hospital stays for patients.

Under the direction of Rosenwaks, the newly named reproductive medicine center at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell will build upon its history of groundbreaking treatments for infertility, changing the lives of people by making it possible for them to have a child. The new gift will ensure continued advancement and excellence in research, education and patient care initiatives in reproductive medicine at Weill Cornell. Research will be conducted with the most advanced technology in a state-of-the-art space that is designed to enhance communication among physician-scientists and encourage interdisciplinary and translational research. The gift also will allow activities at additional sites in New York, Queens and Westchester County and will support the recruitment of new top-ranked faculty and the establishment of faculty endowment.

"I am pleased to acknowledge Ron Perelman for this historic gift to Weill Cornell Medical College," said Sanford I. Weill, chairman of the Board of Overseers of WCMC. "He is a leader with extraordinary talent and wisdom who brings passion to all that he does. Reproductive medicine is a field of scientific discovery that holds remarkable promise for the future, and Ron Perelman's gift will advance an already outstanding department that conducts cutting-edge research and translates research results into life-changing advances for patients here in New York and around the world."