Homer Gudelsky understood the importance of quality medical care. During the five years he was treated for bone cancer at the University of Maryland Medical Center, Mr. Gudelsky experienced first-hand the skill of hospital physicians and nurses. Now his widow has stepped forward to ensure that others receive the same kind of high-caliber medical attention at University Hospital. The Homer and Martha Gudelsky Foundation has donated $5 million for a new clinical tower.

This gift -- the largest ever given to the University of Maryland -- serves as the cornerstone for a massive fund-raising drive by the hospital in its modernization plans. University not only trains the vast majority of Maryland medical practitioners but also cares for huge numbers of poor and middle-class Baltimore-area residents. Building a better University Hospital benefits the entire region.