Hanson House is a "home away from home" for the families and loved ones of critically ill or injured patients in Palm Springs area hospitals. It provides low or no-cost accommodations in a Spanish mission style surrounding.

Hanson House was conceived and developed by Frank R. Ercoli, M.D., FACS - Medical Director of Trauma and Critical Care Services at Desert Regional Medical Center. In 1999, Dr. Ercoli began an effort to create a place that provided comfort and solace to the families of those patients being treated in the intensive care units of the hospital. He met project benefactor Lord James Hanson, a British industrialist and part-time resident of Palm Springs. Lord Hanson made a very generous seed donation to to start the fund for the facility that is now named for him. Hanson House opened its doors on Christmas Eve 2003.

Hanson House is staffed entirely by volunteers under the direction of the Executive Director and a Volunteer Coordinator. As a not-for-profit public benefit corporation, Hanson House is always looking for additional help - monetary, goods and services and, of course, volunteers. The Palm Springs Smooth Jazz Festival is the major annual fundraiser for Hanson House. Held outdoors at the picturesque Indian Canyons Golf Resort in Palm Springs, it brings world-renown entertainers together for a weekend of top notch jazz.