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Former nurse honored by El Camino

by Nick Veronin

A longtime supporter of El Camino Hospital, the late Norma Melchor, was honored on Dec. 20, when the local community hospital renamed its Heart & Vascular Institute in her memory.

The newly christened Norma Melchor Heart & Vascular Institute of El Camino Hospital is intended to acknowledge the strong support that Melchor and her husband, Jack, contributed to the hospital's cardiovascular institute over the years, according to hospital CEO Tomi Ryba.

"For more than a half a century, Norma, her husband Jack, and their entire family have been committed to ensuring the success of El Camino Hospital," Ryba said. "We are incredibly grateful for their generosity in time and for the financial contributions they have made to the Heart & Vascular Institute, which will help us ensure that our patients continue to have access to innovative programs, the latest diagnostic tools and a clinical trial program that is helping to identify emerging treatment modalities."

The family's financial contributions have been important for El Camino Hospital from its very founding, according to the press release. Recently, the Melchor family donated several million dollars to the Heart & Vascular Institute.

Melchor, a former surgical nurse, served on multiple hospital boards and committees over her career. She served for four terms on the district's board of directors, presiding as president for one.

The family also donated the land upon which the Melchor Pavilion was built.

Many members of the Melchor family attended the renaming ceremony, including Jack, who survives his recently departed wife, along with their children and grandchildren.

"My grandparents were always strong advocates for philanthropy and helping others, and I know how much the hospital and the work of the Heart & Vascular Institute meant to my grandmother," said Lane Melchor, Norma's grandson and an El Camino Hospital Foundation board member. "She would be honored to see that her legacy is being carried on through this important program."

Melchor died on Feb. 17 at the hospital she helped build. She was 87.