Remembering Hannah Step

With a multigenerational family background in pharmaceuticals and biotech, coupled with experiences as UC San Diego Health patients, Step and her family made it their charge to affect a positive difference for patients. Through the Step Family Foundation, Step, her late husband Eugene and son Michael established a number of patient-centered facilities and initiatives at UC San Diego Health.

“Hannah exemplified the heart of UC San Diego Health’s mission — delivering compassionate, expert care that transforms lives,” said UC San Diego Health CEO Patty Maysent. “Her unwavering dedication to our patients and her ability to connect with them on a deeply human level made her an irreplaceable part of our healing community. Hannah’s legacy will live on in every life she touched and in the culture of excellence and empathy she helped shape.”

In 2019, the Step family helped fund the establishment of the Step Family Foundation Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Wellness Center at UC San Diego Health, which, under the leadership of Pam Taub, M.D., has become one of the nation’s premier cardiovascular rehabilitation facilities and is a model for other hospitals nationwide. With a mission to provide comprehensive patient-centered care – the center is designed to help patients change their lifestyle and stay healthy. Most recently, the Step Family Foundation Endowed Directors Chair in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Wellness was established, and awarded to Taub.

“Hannah was a true visionary and saw how we could improve the experience of our patients in both preventive cardiology and in palliative care. She took action by thoughtfully funding the establishment of both the Cardiac Rehabilitation and Wellness Center and the Palliative Care Unit at UC San Diego Health,” said Taub, professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine and cardiologist at UC San Diego Health. “Thousands of patients and their families have benefited from her incredible generosity, and her impact will continue to improve patient care in the years to come.”

Step also established the Step Family Foundation Inpatient Palliative Care Unit, which promotes education, access and training in the field of palliative care, including supporting a clinical team providing clinical support to patients and their families.

“Hannah was passionate about exceptional palliative care and its focus on whole person care during difficult times, including serious illness and end of life,” said Alison Moore, M.D., MPH, chief of the Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology and Palliative Care at the University of California School of Medicine and geriatrician at UC San Diego Health. “Hannah and the Step family have championed the palliative care program, helping ensure that its value is clearly recognized across the health system. Their support has made a lasting impact on how care is delivered when people need it most.”

Over the years, Step also supported the next generation of physicians, with medical scholarships including the Pearl Hannah Memorial Scholars, which provides funding for young investigators in research and clinical care. She also played a key role in establishing a chair honoring Anthony DeMaria, M.D., the former chief of cardiology, for his contributions to UC San Diego Health.

The Step Family Foundation also established a fund providing a “concierge for all” pilot program in gastroenterology for patients in honor of Thomas Savides, M.D. This program provides concierge medicine for all gastroenterology patients while generating clinical data to demonstrate improved outcomes and provide for publications regarding enhanced patient experiences.

Hannah is survived by her son Michael Step, Steven Step and Jonathan Step, as well as five grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that those who wish to make a gift in Hannah Step’s honor may give to the Step Family Foundation Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Wellness Center.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT UC SAN DIEGO »