The mission of Hanson House Foundation is to reduce the emotional, financial, and logistical burdens experienced by patients, families, and caregivers facing medical crises or undergoing treatment through affordable lodging, family-centered support services, resource coordination, and continued access to community care beyond discharge.


Hanson House is a “home away from home” for the loved ones of critically ill and injured hospitalized patients, where families and caregivers can stay in a supportive environment while their loved ones receive treatment at Coachella Valley area hospitals. The House also serves the needs of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation treatment, parents of newborn babies critically ill in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), military families from the Marine base at Twentynine Palms, and families of First Responders. No one is turned away because of an inability to pay.

Frank R. Ercoli, M.D., FACS, Medical Director of Trauma and Critical Care Services at Desert Regional Medical Center, conceived and developed the idea of creating a place that provided comfort and care to the families of patients in the intensive care units of local hospitals. Dr. Ercoli 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 start the fund for the facility, now named after him. Hanson House Phase 1, with 8 private casitas, indoor and outdoor dining areas, a meditation/chapel room, a physician-family conference room, a kitchen, and a laundry room, opened its doors on Christmas Eve 2003.

The John R. and M. Margrite Davis Foundation made a generous contribution to the Hanson House, enabling the construction and completion of 8 additional private rooms in 2008.

The Hanson House is designed in Spanish Mission-style architecture, with meditative grounds and a welcoming atmosphere felt upon entering the front gate.

Hanson House is staffed entirely by volunteers under the direction of an Executive Director. Volunteers work a four-hour shift at the front desk. Volunteers greet guests, assist with registration, and provide a tour of the facility. Hanson House is available to guests 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Reservations are not accepted at Hanson House. Guests stay on a first-come, first-served basis with a qualifying referral and remain as long as the patient remains in critical condition. (This could be days, weeks, or months). Guests have a private casita, access to an open pantry stocked with donated food, Wi‑Fi, and laundry facilities. The common areas provide opportunities for interaction with other guests and the Hanson House Volunteer Staff, who can offer compassion and understanding. A chapel is available for prayer and meditation. The Executive Director meets with every family, assists with special needs, and helps families navigate the medical facility and the local area.

The Hanson House is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit public corporation. The Board of Directors works tirelessly to ensure that the Hanson House remains viable to the community. The Hanson House depends on donations, grants, and fundraisers to continue our mission of affordable housing. While the DRMC donates to the upkeep, Hanson House is NOT owned or run by the hospital.