On Oct. 23, 2024, the University of Rochester announced that the Saunders Foundation, led by University Trustee Emeritus E. Philip (Phil) Saunders, had made a $30 million commitment to the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) to support novel research and clinical programs in orthopaedics, faculty in the School of Medicine and Dentistry, and nursing students.

The gift included $25 million to support the groundbreaking work of the UR Medicine Orthopaedics & Physical Performance Center, the most comprehensive orthopaedic facility in the northeastern United States. An additional $5 million established a named professorship in orthopaedics at the School of Medicine and Dentistry and created new scholarships in the School of Nursing.