The Family Business

The DeIulis family has a long history of supporting Salem Hospital and recently completed construction of the new main entrance and lobby.

For Patrick DeIulis, it all comes down to family - personally, professionally and philanthropically. DeIulis serves as Vice President & CFO of DeIulis Brothers Construction, which his father and uncle founded as Italian immigrants on the North Shore in the 1950s, and as a member of the Salem Hospital Development Committee. The family's fingerprints are throughout Salem Hospital, from the company's recent projects to build the hospital's new main entrance lobby and renovate operating rooms, to a gift in honor of DeIulis's uncle Frank, who guided the company into commercial construction.

"In our industry, it's gratifying to see the product of our work. It's visible, something to point to and say, 'We did that,'" DeIulis says. "It becomes a source of pride for our business to say we've had an opportunity to leave our mark."

DeIulis Brothers work with the hospital dates back to the 1970s and covers many upgrades over the years, including the original emergency department, the previous cardiac surgery center and expanded MRI units. The new main entrance and lobby opened in August 2023, marking the completion of a transformative project that began more than five years prior. The 10,000-square-foot space, filled with natural light, reconfigured the main entrance, enclosed the open-air walkway, and expanded the interior lobby and services.

The lobby, named for previous Salem Hospital president Dr. David J. Roberts and supported by the late local philanthropist Arthur Epstein and his wife Bryna Lichtman, also incorporated several new amenities, including a welcome desk and covered drop-off area, and numerous sustainable design elements. The current projects show how much the company and the hospital have evolved over the years as they both address the challenges inherent in healthcare.

"My parents came from a country that was destroyed in World War II, started over and built a new life," DeIulis says. "My father couldn't have imagined building something of the scale of the lobby when he started the business. Without my uncle Frank's skill and guidance, we wouldn't be where we are now.

"We always look for opportunities to support Salem Hospital, which has stood the test of time," he adds. "The hospital has expanded its footprint in the community, offers more services than people expect for a community hospital, and serves a population that doesn't always have the ability to pay. I have great respect for people and organizations who choose that as their mission and career."

The family, including DeIulis's five sons, also participated in fundraising efforts for cancer care at Salem Hospital, spurred on by his wife Susan. She worked at the hospital as a radiation oncology technician and was treated for melanoma at Massachusetts General Hospital before she died of the disease in 2000. The couple's sons have grown, and some have children of their own, but DeIulis appreciates their continued connections to Salem Hospital.

"When it comes to supporting the community, we keep Salem Hospital front and center," DeIulis says. "I'm just one person, but there's a whole family behind me who shares the same commitment and dedication. It's the core of who we are."