Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation Inaugural Newsletter 2018

H OUSTON M E T HO D I ST H OSPI TA L FO U N DAT I O N

INAUGU RA L NE WSLETTER

A LETTER FROM OUR CAMPAIGN CHAIR

Contents

2

Letter from our Chair

2

Transformational Giving

3

Campaign at a Glance

4

Attract Brilliance

6

Accelerate Research

8

Train Superstars

10

Promote Healing

12

The Society for Leading Medicine

14

Houston Methodist Employee Relief Fund

16

Event Highlights

18

Houston Methodist Hospital has been a big part of my life since I was a child.

My grandfathers, Eddy C. Scurlock and Bill Blanton, and father, Jack S. Blanton, served on the board of the hospital, and I was just 14 when my mother urged me to volunteer with the Blue Bird Circle located at the hospital. My family and I are proud to be a part of such an exceptional institution—one that has fostered outstanding care and medical miracles for nearly a century. Now, as Houston Methodist embarks on its second major fundraising campaign, I invite you to share with us the joy and opportunity of giving back.

Leading Medicine to the Power of M: Campaign for Our Second Century represents a bold vision to advance Houston Methodist as a global force recognized among the best hospital systems in the world. With your support and generosity, Houston Methodist will focus on the following campaign pillars: 1) attracting brilliance, 2) accelerating research, 3) training superstars and 4) promoting healing. Together, we can help launch new medical breakthroughs and play a part in the future of an institution that has been so vital to Houston for nearly 100 years.

This year, campaign co-chair Rusty Walter and his wife Paula propelled our campaign into high gear with a $101 mil­lion commitment, with a large portion dedicated to matching other gifts.

This campaign offers so many unique opportunities to leverage gifts. For example, contributors of $1 million or more toward an endowed chair qualify for a matching gift of $ 500,000. Any gifts to Houston Methodist’s cancer and transplant centers, the Translational Research Initiative (TRI² and TRI³) and the nursing programs at our community hospitals also receive matches, doubling their impact. The naming opportunities in the hospital’s new Walter Tower, slated to open in 2018, offer the chance for recognition in one of the most innovative facilities in the entire Texas Medical Center.

From my own experience, I can tell you that Houston Methodist knows how to maximize its resources. Whenever my family—individually or as part of the Scurlock Foundation—dedicates resources to Houston Methodist, we know we will have the most responsible stewardship.

The innovative and effective use of philanthropic funds, combined with a variety of unique matching opportunities, truly multiply the impact of gifts at Houston Methodist to the “Power of M.” I am humbled to help lead this campaign and ask that you please consider joining us as we steer Houston Methodist toward its second century of serving the community— and the world.

Elizabeth Blanton Wareing Campaign Chair

BARBARA & PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH

FEATURED GIFTS

Read more about these transformational commitments in the 2016 and 2017 magazines.

Houston Methodist Hospital has named the atrium in the new Walter Tower the Barbara and President George H.W. Bush Atrium in honor of the former president and first lady. Contributors are invited to honor the Bushes with gifts to support research, patient care and education initiatives as part of the Leading Medicine to the Power of M campaign. Contributors of $250,000 and up will be recognized on a plaque in the Bush Atrium. “We are happy and intrigued with the idea of becoming a permanent part of an institution we have not only come to love and respect for its values and faithbased mission, but also trust for our own health care as patients,” the Bushes said.

JEROLD B. KATZ FOUNDATION The entrepreneurial spirit that Jerold B. Katz used to create a global financial services business is what drives his family foundation’s $21 million commitment to Houston Methodist.

The Katz gift provides the necessary resources to accelerate life-changing translational research from the laboratory to the medical marketplace.

The commitment establishes the Jerold B. Katz Academy of Translational Research through the selection of Katz Investigators who will help lead the way to transformational medical breakthroughs; a second Translational Research Initiative (TRI²) to propel discoveries to commercial success; and the Jerold B. Katz Translational Research Infrastructure Fund to continuously update labora­tories.

The TRI² is a $5 million matching challenge, that will support collaborative projects between Houston Methodist clinicians and researchers.

PAULA & JOSEPH C. “RUSTY” WALTER III Houston oilman Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter III and his family have given millions of dollars to Houston Methodist over four decades, funding advances in transplant, cancer and stroke, and establishing endowed chairs for outstanding doctors.

Their latest commitment is the cornerstone contribution to Leading Medicine to the Power of M: Campaign for Our Second Century—a $101 million com­ mit­ment and the largest gift in Houston Methodist’s history.

It includes: • Centennial Chair Challenge (C³) (see page six) • Walter Neurological Restoration Initiative • TRI³ for Neurosciences • Walter Fund for Innovation • Houston Methodist Employee Relief Fund (see page 16) In honor of the Walter’s extraordinary commitment, the new 22-story tower will be named the Paula and Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter III Tower at Houston Methodist Hospital.

3

CAMPAIGN

AT-A-GLANCE

$

302 MILLION RAISED TO DATE FR O M

1. 1. 13

TO

11. 9 . 17

LEADING MEDICINE TO THE POWER OF M: CAMPAIGN FOR OUR SECOND CENTURY BEGAN COUNTING ON

AMOUNTS RAISED BY CAMPAIGN PILLAR

ATTRACT BRILLIANCE

65%

OF GOAL

ACCELERATE RESEARCH

61%

OF GOAL

JANUARY 1, 2013, AND THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT TOOK PLACE ON

NOVEMBER 9, 2017.

TRAIN SUPERSTARS

54%

OF GOAL

PROMOTE HEALING

83%

OF GOAL

4

5

MATCHING GIFT OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

-1 CENTENNIAL CHAIR CHALLENGE

-2 TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH INITIATIVE 2

-3TRANSPLANT MATCHING CHALLENGE

-4CANCER MATCHING CHALLENGE

-5CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT IN NURSING

69

ENDOWED CHAIRS

18,216 GIFTS

ENDOWMENTS $153,236,266

9,501 SUPPORTERS

QUASI ENDOWMENTS $9,334,271 CURRENT USE $135,216,363

5

CAMPAIGN PRIORITY:

ATTRACT BRILLIANCE Brilliance is at the heart of medical advancement. World class patient care, cutting-edge research and one-of-a-kind treatment options are the product of extraordinary doctors working at the height of their professions. Philanthropy provides elite academic medical institutions like Houston Methodist with a unique resource for attracting talent and bestowing stand-out leaders with recognition, prestige and crucial financial resources— the Endowed Chair For more information on C3, visit powerofM.org/attract-brilliance

A PERSONAL

GIFT OF GRATITUDE The pain in Michael Galbreth’s head on December 12, 2016, was nothing short of debilitating. The healthy 60-yearold had never experienced a migraine and didn’t get headaches. This “headache” was so severe he couldn’t walk. When the pain returned tenfold a few days later, he barely made it to the emer‑­ gency room.

An aneurysm caused by

a structural deformation in a major vessel nearly killed him. “He was very lucky,”

to operate. Mike and his family believe his restored health goes beyond good luck. They call his life-saving surgery a miracle.

“Mike was home for

Christmas dinner,” says his mother-in-law Candy Knudson.

“It’s a Christmas we will never ever forget.”

Candy and Tom Knudson

had spent years in and out of Houston Methodist Hospital, as visitors when their elderly parents and friends needed care, and as patients on occasion. Tom serves on the President’s Leadership Council and the Neurological

says Dr. Gavin Britz, director

Institute National Council,

of the Houston Methodist

and the couple has sup-

Neurological Institute.

ported the Neurological

“He had bled earlier and

Institute for several years.

had a second hemorrhage.

The second hemorrhage

life was saved at Houston

is normally fatal.”

Methodist Hospital.

Dr. Britz canceled a

planned overseas trip, and 6

he and his team were able

Now their son-in-law’s

“We had been talking

about a gift to Houston

C E N T E NNIAL E N DO WM ENTS Candy and Tom Knudson Centennial Chair in Neurosurgery in honor of Gavin W. Britz, M.D. Dr. Ronny W. and Ruth Ann Barner Centennial Chair in Spiritual Care J.C. “Rusty” Walter III Centennial Chair Lois and Carl Davis Centennial Chair in Multiple Sclerosis

Pictured: Candy and Tom Knudson

serving on the campaign steering committee how important it is to get to 100 endowed chairs for the hospital’s centennial in 2019,” says Tom. “It really all fit together just beautifully.”

The couple’s generous

gift established the first Centennial Chair—this one

FROM THE HEART Dr. William Winters Jr. dedicated more than five decades of his life working as a revered cardiologist at Houston Methodist Hospital. When he and his wife Barbara decided

Lois and Carl Davis Centennial Chair (1 and 2)

to give a Centennial Chair in

Winters Family Distinguished Centennial Chair in Cardiovascular Education in honor of Christopher, William and Scott Winters

years of service in 2019, it

Peter S. and Elizabeth Blanton Wareing Centennial Chair

Crowning Achievement Centennial Chair in Nursing Excellence

Methodist, and I knew from

A COMMITMENT

John F. III and Ann H. Bookout Centennial Endowment in the Houston Methodist Research Institute Henrietta and Terence Hall Distinguished Centennial Endowment in Orthopedic Surgery Ann and Billy Harrison Centennial Endowment in Alzheimer’s Research

honor of the hospital’s 100 was a gift from the heart and their entire family.

Established in honor

of their three sons— Christopher, William and Scott—the Winters Family Distinguished Centen­n ial Chair in Cardio­vascular Education guarantees the future of the respected Houston Methodist DeBakey Cardiovascular Journal and will perpetually support the

Cathy and Ed Frank Centennial Endowment

educational and research

Deborah C. and Clifton B. Phillips Centennial Endowment for Clinical Research in Transplant Medicine

chief. Dr. Winters was found-

priorities of its editor-ining editor in 2004.

“No one deserves this Centennial Chair more than my dear friend and colleague, Dr. Miguel Quiñones,” Dr. Winters says of the chair’s inaugural holder. “We’ve worked together 40 years, and, as the father of cardiac ultrasound, Dr. Quiñones will keep our Journal relevant and outstanding as Houston Methodist Hospital starts its second century of serving the community.”

In his quest to continue the Journal’s growth and suc­ cess under Dr. Winters, the editorial team will continue to make improvements to the publication’s website and expand from four to six editions annually. The Journal also will provide an online interaction tool for readers and authors and work to stimulate learning and collaboration in the field of cardiology.

in honor of Dr. Britz, who was appointed as the inaugural holder of the Candy and Tom Knudson Centennial Chair in Neurosurgery in honor of Gavin W. Britz, M.D.

“Houston Methodist has

a pioneering spirit, an entrepreneurial spirit and a total can-do willingness to take great risks to do great things,” Tom says. “And you all have created a wonderful culture of service.”

The Winters Family: Chris Winters, Barbara Winters, Bill Winters, Dr. William Winters Jr. and Scott Winters.

Q&A ACCELERATE CAMPAIGN PRIORITY:

RESEARCH

Millions of patients suffering from incurable or treatment-resistant diseases are placing their hopes in the new and inventive drugs and therapies that are cultivated by medical research. However, new ideas don’t always—or even often—make it out of the testing stages. Thousands of potentially lifesaving treatments are lost because of expense, a lack of business expertise, insurmountable regulatory requirements, or all of the above. Support for research at Houston Methodist means disrupting the old paradigm, and getting new treatment to patients with a new level of efficiency and urgency.

For more information on TRI, visit powerofM.org/accelerate-research

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WITH BETH & SCHUYLER TILNEY Houston Methodist launched the Translational Research Initiative (TRI) to help accelerate medical innovation by speeding the long, arduous journey between laboratory discovery and clinical application. Capitalizing on Houston’s entrepreneurial spirit and philanthropic savvy, TRI successfully raises funds to support Houston Methodist’s distinctive approach to research by directing resources to the most promising projects with the potential to yield new treatments in years, rather than decades.

Beth and Schuyler Tilney, a Houston couple successful in both business and philan­thropy, were among the Founding Members of the inaugural TRI and have become passionate supporters and advocates for Houston Methodist’s translational research mission. Schuyler is an executive and investor with an oil and gas service company, and Beth is a former corporate marketing executive who now devotes her energies to the nonprofit world, including serving on the board of directors of a faith-based sports and mentoring program for underprivileged Houston youth.

The Tilneys sat down with their friend Dr. Mauro Ferrari, the Ernest Cockrell Jr. Presidential Distinguished Chair and CEO of the Houston Methodist Research Institute, to discuss what inspired them to get involved in TRI and why Houston Methodist is uniquely positioned to lead the way toward a new model

of medical innovation.

Ferrari: You’re both from outside of Texas. Why did you settle in Houston?

Schuyler: We met as students at the University of Virginia and we moved down here for work in the mid-1980s.

We loved Houston so much we stayed and raised three children. The youngest is in high school now. Houston is a vibrant city of entrepreneurs, it retains a kind of frontier nature. And it is so welcoming to new people.

Ferrari: I agree, this community really embraces you and encourages you to roll up your sleeves and make things happen. How did you first become familiar with Houston Methodist and the Houston Methodist Research Institute?

Beth: Everyone in Houston knows about Houston Methodist. When you ask around for recommendations for the best doctors, you get referred to Houston Methodist. I got introduced to the Research Institute at a TRI cocktail event hosted by friends. Given my family history of breast cancer, I was amazed hearing about the research happening at Houston Methodist and later, when you gave us a tour of the Research Institute, I thought to myself, ‘You all are going to cure breast cancer!’ That’s when I decided—we’re all in.

Schuyler: After that we hosted a TRI event at our home featuring Dr. Joseph Masdeu, Graham Family Distinguished Chair in Neurological Sciences and Director of the Nantz National Alzheimer Center at Houston Methodist Neurological Institute. My late mother had Alzheimer’s, so Alzheimer’s

be involved in philanthropy and process for new treatments, can my treatment options, my become a model for the rest of then-12-year old son said to loved the business-like, entre- who want their gifts to really me, ‘I want you to know my preneurial approach to medi- make an impact, and TRI is like the country. is very personal to me. And I

cal research and the focus on

venture capital for medical

Ferrari: You’ve both helped

children.’ If we can cure this

results.

research. It really capitalizes

us immensely, as one of the

disease in our lifetimes, for

Ferrari: In your view, what is

on the city’s entrepreneurial,

founding couples of TRI. What my children and so many other

the most exciting aspect of

innovative spirit.

the TRI?

Beth: I really believe that what

is your dream for TRI’s future? women and their families, I want to be a part of that.

Beth: My real dream for TRI

Schuyler: There are so many

we do here, in terms of speeding is easy. I was diagnosed with people in Houston who want to the research and development breast cancer and considering

FOUNDATIONS OF SUPPORT

Pictured: Mauro Ferrari, PhD, Schuyler Tilney, Beth Tilney

Philanthropic support is the lifeblood for accelerating research at Houston Methodist. Generosity from private foundations helps speed medical discoveries from the laboratory to patients’ bedsides, by making it possible for physician-scientists to conduct laboratory research and perform clinical trials that lead to new treatments and cures.

The generosity of private foundations has helped Houston Methodist grow into the elite academic medical institution it is today, and such support continues to advance new innovations in patient care and research.

For example, the Huffington Foundation is funding research by Drs. Eugene Lai and Stephen Wong to test the effectiveness of drugs originally approved for other uses to treat Parkinson’s disease, which causes motor dysfunction and impairs movement. This Houstonbased foundation was established in 1987 by the late Roy M. Huffington, who launched an oil and natural gas exploration business that became a major oil company.

Generosity from the Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation is making it possible for Dr. Xian Li to search for new treatments that can fight organ rejection and prolong the lives of transplant patients, and for Dr. Ennio Tasciotti to seek a new treatment to combat cardiovascular inflammation using nanotechnology.

The Klebergs worked on the family’s King Ranch in South Texas and established the foundation in 1950 with a focus on basic biological and applied medical research.

Dr. Li, director of the Immunobiology & Transplant Science Center and recipient of the Kleberg Foundation grant, knows firsthand the importance of philanthropy.

“We often wrestle with challenging situations and pressing questions that we don’t have answers to in the clinic,” he says. “This is why research is so critical: finding answers and bringing hope to patients. But turning ideas from the lab into therapies in the clinic is a complicated process, and without support from different sources, including foundations, it would be impossible to move this process forward.”

9

CAMPAIGN PRIORITY:

TRAIN SUPERSTARS World class education has been the hallmark of Houston Methodist since its founding nearly a century ago.

Unfortunately there is a shortage of residency and fellowship positions in Texas, where an estimated 45 percent of the medical school graduates take out-of-state residencies—and ultimately spend their careers outside of Houston. Conversely 80 percent of medical residents who train in Texas stay here to practice medicine. By investing philanthropic dollars to create more of these highly specialized medical research opportunities at Houston Methodist, we will ensure that Houston remains home to leaders in their fields for generations to come. In turn, Houstonians and far beyond will have access to the best talent and education in health care.

For more information on the Houston Methodist and Texas A&M MD/PhD Scholars Initiative, visit powerofM.org/train-superstars

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SCHOLARSHIPS FOR

TEXAS A&M MD/PHD STUDENTS AT HOUSTON METHODIST

Paul Bernard knew as a child that he wanted to be a doctor.

He always wanted to help people. But as a chemistry undergraduate at the University of Texas at Austin, he also fell in love with scientific research.

Now, the 25-year-old Houston Methodist Texas A&M MD/PhD candidate lives the best of both worlds.

“We’re doing research that could potentially help our patient population,” Paul says. At the height of his research rotation with Dr. Randall Olsen in the Houston Methodist Research Institute, Paul works with post-docs and technicians on the study of molecular pathogenesis of Group A Streptococcus, which causes necrotizing fasciitis, better known as flesh-eating disease.

“Understanding the genetics of bacterial infections can lead to the development of new vaccines, which can help save lives around the world,” Paul explains. Along with his work in Dr. Olsen’s laboratory and his classroom studies, Paul also teaches interns each summer. And he has collected 18 months of data toward his first peerreviewed scientific article.

The Houston Methodist Texas A&M MD/PhD program covers tuition and related expenses, which run about $50,000 per year for every student and currently hosts six candidates. Philanthropy is critical to the growing Houston Methodist and Texas A&M MD/PhD Scholars Initiative.

Houstonians Jennifer and Joel Moore are among the first handful of Founding Members, each of whom contributes a minimum $50,000. “These scholars are going to pioneer the medical breakthroughs of tomorrow, and the Houston Methodist Research Institute is the perfect environment to foster their creativity,” Joel says. “We’re proud to support this initiative.”

Physician mentors say these students enrich the scholarly environment for everyone in the laboratory.

“Paul’s project investigating the molecular basis of flesh eating disease is very exciting,” says Dr. Olsen.

Paul plans to complete his PhD by 2021 and his MD by 2023. Ideally, his career will lead to a true physician-scientist role, where he sees problems in the clinic, addresses them at the bench and translates them to patients.

CHANGING YOUNG LIVES

As a high school senior, Erika Ocampo felt depressed, suicidal and helpless because of family problems. Her high school counselor encouraged her to apply for Houston Methodist’s eight-week Patient Care Assistant (PCA) summer program.

“Luckily I was accepted, and that’s when my whole life changed,” Erika says. Today, the 20-year-old is a Houston Methodist PCA employee and a nursing student with a bright future. “Coming to the hospital and seeing people suffer so many health challenges made me realize that my problems were not so bad—and I decided to help people who really need it.”

Houston Methodist, in partnership with Communities in Schools, has offered the PCA Summer Externship Program since 2008.

Funded primarily through the CFP Foundation, the program offers

at-risk high school seniors valuable health care provider experience.

The first five weeks include working morning shifts at the hospital and attending evening classes at Smithwood Institute. PCAs gain Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) skills, such as taking vital signs and lifting, moving and feeding patients.

The final three weeks are dedicated to completing the clinical requirements for a CNA license, and students travel to assisted living facilities for hands-on clinical experience.

In 2017, six of the nine PCA graduates were hired by Houston Methodist Hospital, including Erika Ocampo.

“At the end of the program, the PCA extern will have gained work experience in the hospital setting and acquired their CNA certification, to launch their career in health care,” says Aerica

T. Williams, the program’s facilitator.

“The externs receive training similar to the PCAs already working within Houston Methodist Hospital.”

Of the 85 students who have graduated from the PCA program since its launch, more than 50 percent have been hired for full-time jobs at Houston Methodist Hospital.

The majority of the rest chose to enroll in college to pursue a degree in health care.

“It is a privilege to be in a position to help at-risk high school seniors gain practical work experience and a potential career opportunity in the health care environment,” say Sylvie and Gary Crum, Executive Officers of CFP Foundation. “Helping at-risk youth triumph over their circumstances is part of CFP’s mission.”

STUDENTS HONING THEIR SKILLS

in the Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation and Education (MITIESM). MITIESM is an educational resource used by health care professionals to improve patient safety with ongoing procedural skills training, research on skills acquisition and new technology and procedure development.

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CAMPAIGN PRIORITY:

PROMOTE HEALING Delivering unparalleled faith-based care that always puts the patient first remains our core mission. We want every patient who visits any facility bearing the Houston Methodist name to have the very best experience possible. This extends beyond critical patient care and communication to include spiritual resources, enhanced nursing, a culture of comfort and performing arts and medical programs that enrich each patient’s overall stay with us.

For more information on the Crowning Achievement match, visit powerofM.org/promote-healing

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HOPE AND HEALING IN THE COMMUNITY A commitment to holistic healing—treating the body and the soul and understanding the crucial connection between the two—is what sets Houston Methodist apart and inspires our distinctive approach to compassionate patient care.

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital provides the most comprehensive cancer care available in Fort Bend County and now, thanks to support from philanthropic partners like The George Foundation, it is extending support services to cancer survivors free of charge. The country has an estimated 15 million (and growing) cancer survivors, each with unique needs. All survivors need help as they journey to healing and restoration, and they require a holistic response encompassing survivors’ physical, psychological, social and spiritual well-being.

“The grant to the Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Cancer Survivorship program is helping provide a multitude of support services—such as art, music, exercise and massage—in which any cancer survivor in Fort Bend and surrounding counties is eligible to participate,” says Chris Siebenaler, CEO, Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital.

The program, which debuted in May 2017, includes: • Thriving Through Creative Arts, a program where participants enjoy a fun­-filled session during which they express themselves through different artistic mediums as a way to cope with the aftermath of cancer and treatment.

• Life In Motion, a program which incorporates the principles of yoga to help encourage an active lifestyle to improve survivors’ physical, social, emotional, mental and spiritual health.

• Music 4 Life, a music therapy program which can help improve the mind, body and spirit. During times of adversity, music can help a person to relax by creating a calming environment.

The support programs meet a critical need in Fort Bend, one of the fastest growing and diverse counties in the U.S. The Cancer Survivorship program’s objectives have included the addition of two oncology nurse navigators to help patients navigate their cancer journey as well as the addition of a resource fair for survivors in conjunction with an annual cancer survivor celebration held in early June.

“The Cancer Survivor­ ship program at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital addresses a vital health care need for the Fort Bend community, and The George Foundation is proud to play a role in helping local cancer survivors on their path to healing and wellness,” says John Null, chairman of the Board of The George Foundation, which seeks to improve the quality of life in Fort Bend County.

Pictured: DeeAnn Anderson and Stephanie Bondi

G I V I NG A L ASTIN G LEGACY:

When DeeAnn saw the new Houston Methodist campus being built near her home in The Woodlands, she was inspired. She approached Debra Sukin, CEO of Houston DeeAnn Anderson was touched when Methodist The Woodlands Hospital, to see if she could put her skills to she heard the piano being played in Houston Methodist Hospital’s lobby work. She was soon hired as director of Volunteer Services and director of while her husband of almost 25 years, Peter, was being treated there the Gift Shop.

DeeAnn’s passion for giving back for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). “The music brings you back to reality,” she didn’t end there. When she heard that hospital leaders wanted a says. “It makes you think about the care you’re being given and gives you piano for the lobby, DeeAnn and her daughter Stephanie Bondi decided a moment just to reflect.”

DeeAnn says she and Peter lived to donate one in Peter’s memory. at Houston Methodist’s Texas Medical The semi-concert grand piano, designed Center campus during several multi- by Steinway & Sons, is considered week stays between his diagnosis in an outstanding instrument for live 2010 and his passing in 2013. She says performances and is also an electric the care they received was exception- iPad-controlled player piano. DeeAnn and Stephanie dedicated it to the al, so she began to think of ways to Houston Methodist Neurological give back.

Institute.

THE HEALING GIFT OF MUSIC

“Peter loved listening to music,” DeeAnn says, “so we thought this would be the perfect way to bring his memory to this new hospital. The piano is a continuing legacy to thank everyone at the Neurological Institute who was an integral part of Peter’s phenomenal care.”

DeeAnn believes that music therapy is a key to patients’ recovery, and that its presence helps their families, too. “We thought music would help reduce anxiety a little as people enter into the hospital,” DeeAnn says. “Music stands for calmness, for beauty and for all the things you hope everyone can achieve in their lives.”

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THE SOCIETY FOR LEADING MEDICINE

SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS

When Houston Methodist’s first-ever annual giving society started in 2013, it had 230 members and raised $1.4 million.

Just four years later, The Society’s numbers have soared.

Approximately 542 Society members helped raise $5.5 million in 2017—a record-setting year. Altogether, the group has raised more than $15 million to support Houston Methodist’s vision to advance from the best hospital in Texas to one of the best in the world through unparalleled patient care, transformational research and outstanding medical education.

The metrics exceed expectations. But a less quantifiable impact of The Society could be changing the face of philanthropy at Houston Methodist forever. The children of Society members are growing up together and observing first-hand the generosity of their parents and grandparents and the significance of philanthropy to health care. The millions of people who live in Houston’s suburbs are becoming engaged in their community hospitals. And Houston Methodist leaders have joined and become engaged in Society activities.

The Society’s impact has numerous examples, including the following:

• The teenage son of a Society member returned from a family event in the Houston Methodist Research Institute with the determination to become a doctor.

• The middle school daughter of another member chose a Society event over a competing gathering because it honored her grandfather, a longtime friend and supporter of Houston Methodist.

• Community leaders who support Houston Methodist’s seven community hospitals joined The Society in record numbers during 2017.

• Within days of The Society starting a limited offer of Centennial Lifetime memberships at $250,000, five Society members committed to this new level.

As Society members get to know one another better at the many family friendly events, they are forming a solid and close-knit network of Houston Methodist advocates and training the next generation of philanthropists—their own children. They attend presentations by Houston Methodist physician-scientists and learn about their work to find better treatments for diseases of all kinds. Perhaps best of all, Society members are introducing their friends to The Society for Leading Medicine in record numbers, ensuring a growing and healthy philanthropic family as Houston Methodist heads toward its 100th anniversary in 2019.

The Society for Leading Medicine memberships start at $1,000 annually and include invitations to unique events as well as facilitated access to health care. To join, visit houstonmethodist.org/thesociety or contact Amanda Harris at abharris@houstonmethodist.org or 832.667.5813.

SOCIETY APPRECIATION EVENT: FEBRUARY 8, 2017

Marty Goossen, Kathy Goossen and Ginger Blanton Chairs Sarah and Duncan Underwood and Gentry and Amy Lee

HOUSTON TEXANS FIELD DAY: APRIL 26, 2017

Keely and Carl Carter and Robyn Canterbury

HOUSTON ASTROS FAMILY FIELD DAY: NOVEMBER 14, 2017

Ron and Elisabeth Millard

Grandchild of a Society member at pitching practice The Bryan Family

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A FLOOD OF GIFTS: HEALING AFTER HARVEY MORE THAN $8M GIVEN IN SUPPORT From the moment it entered the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Harvey was like no other storm in modern Houston history. When it hit the Texas coast on Friday, August 25, 2017, the category 4 hurricane brought winds of 130 mph and moved into the Houston area with pounding rains that lasted nearly a week, breaking a national record near one suburb that recorded almost 52 inches of rain.

The resulting floods devastated the Greater Houston area.

Hospitals, schools, government offices, stores and restaurants— virtually the entire Greater Houston area shut down for several days.

But Houston Methodist’s eight hospitals remained open, with many of the system’s 23,000 employees maneuvering through flooded streets to get to work.

Despite personal loss, including destroyed homes, cars and property, as well as mandatory evacuations for many, employees made it to their hospitals.

Within days of the disaster, Dr. Marc Boom, president and CEO, Houston Methodist, announced the creation of a multimillion dollar Houston Methodist Employee Relief Fund to aid those impacted by Harvey.

“Our ability to keep our hospitals open throughout the crisis—and to now return to normal operations so quickly and seamlessly—rests on the people who make our hospitals run,” Dr. Boom wrote in a system­wide

16

email on September 1. “Teams of nurses, physicians, housekeepers, food service employees, maintenance workers and other staff left their own families to care for our patients.”

The generosity of longtime Houston Methodist supporters Paula and Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter III launched the relief fund by redirecting $5 million from a prior commitment and adding a $1 million challenge gift.

Since then, contributions from friends throughout the country and a $1 million com­ mitment from The Society for Leading Medicine increased the Houston Methodist Employee Relief Fund to $8.4 million.

The fund helped more than 6,000 employees initially, and many of those with additional needs continue to receive assistance.

A critical care technician at Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital worked throughout Hurricane Harvey as her family evacuated their flooded house.

She later emailed Dr. Boom to thank Houston Methodist for help from the Relief Fund:

“Being apart from my family was extremely difficult, but I found solace within the hospital walls and my work family. It was reassuring to see our CEO, administrative staff and management alongside the employees. Their presence symbolized unity, reassurance and compassion.

The funding being provided is just another example of why Houston Methodist stands above the rest.”

EMAIL FROM A

GRATEFUL EMPLOYEE Dear Dr. Boom,

I am a postdoc in the department of neurosurgery and a grateful recipient of the Houston Methodist Harvey assistance fund.

I cannot thank you, the Houston Methodist community and the generous donors of the Harvey Relief fund enough for your generosity, compassion and support.

During Harvey our apartment complex was flooded with chest-deep water which resulted in our car being completely submerged. At that moment, as parents of a 14-month old child, we felt scared, trapped by the water, and helpless. In hindsight, compared to others in our city and the Houston Methodist family, we consider ourselves blessed and incredibly lucky that the water rose no further. Our friend, who also works for Houston Methodist, drove for more than 45 minutes finding drivable roads to rescue us the day after Harvey because our apartment complex was covered with sewage and had lost power and water. She then gave us food and shelter for a week after until we could return to our apartment. This is just an example of the support we have felt from Houston Methodist and our friends since Harvey, and this has helped us in regaining a much-needed sense of normalcy.

I want to convey my sincere gratitude to you and everyone associated with the Harvey Relief fund again for your unwavering support and continued efforts in setting up the assistance fund and efficiently managing it. I realize that a lot of hard work, dedication and a genuine belief in the I CARE values would have gone into making this happen—and I’m grateful for all of it. I am proud to be part of the Houston Methodist community and look forward to serving the community to the best of my abilities.

Sincerely, Sudhir Raghavan, PhD

GALA & CAMPAIGN LAUNCH

Rendezvous: Live Young Fundraising Gala Raises Record $3 Million

Presented by The Honorable and Mrs. Hushang Ansary and Vizient, and through the leadership of exceptional chairs and pioneering honorees, Houston Methodist’s biennial fundraising gala raised $3 million for research, education and patient care for the system’s eight hospitals.

Chairs Claudia and Roberto Contreras, Co-Chairs Lisa and Josh Oren and Honorary Chairs Janet and Ernest H. Cockrell guided Rendezvous: Live Young to its record-setting achievement with a crowd of more than 1,400 attendees. During the event at the Hilton Americas-Houston Hotel, an anonymous benefactor made a gift in the Cockrells’ honor to bring the total to an even $3 million—the most ever raised for a Houston Methodist gala.

The gala recognized three honorees whose inspirational generosity will propel Houston Methodist into the future of Leading Medicine—Freeport LNG and CEO, Michael S. Smith, the Jerold B. Katz Foundation and Paula and Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter III. They were celebrated by their friends, family and closest colleagues in a video presentation introduced by master of ceremonies, KPRC news anchor Dominique Sachse, as well as hospital leadership, including Mark Houser, chair of the Houston Methodist Research Institute Board of Directors; Mauro Ferrari, president and CEO of the Houston Methodist Research Institute; and Dr. Marc L. Boom, president and CEO of Houston Methodist.

At the conclusion of the program, Greg Nelson, chair of the Houston Methodist Hospital Board of Directors, introduced chair Elizabeth Blanton Wareing who announced Leading Medicine to the Power of M: The Campaign for Our Second Century. As Houston Methodist prepares to commemorate the institution’s centennial in 2019, this bold and historic campaign has a goal of raising $500 million to support continued unparalleled patient care, world-class education and groundbreaking research in the next 100 years.

Top left: Elizabeth B. Wareing | Top right: Drs. Marc and Julie Boom, Lisa Oren, Claudia and Roberto Contreras Below right: David and Estela Cockrell, Janet and Ernest H. Cockrell, Stephanie and Ernie D. Cockrell

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR CAMPAIGN Visit powerofM.org

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SPECIAL EVENTS PEAK PERFORMANCES: JULY 14, 2017 Escaping the heat for

the cooler temperatures of Colorado, more than 100 Houston Methodist supporters gathered for Peak Performances. Hosted

by Cam and Rod Canion, Nancy and Jack Dinerstein and Lesha and Tom Elsenbrook, the multifaceted event in Aspen, Colorado included the Grand Rounds Golf Open sponsored by Bob Hay and Bayou City Capital LLC, Home Tours at New Heights sponsored by Sewell Automotive Companies and an evening reception. Proceeds from the event benefited the Houston Methodist Translational Research Initiative.

Pictured: Lesha and Tom Elsenbrook, Cam Canion, Drs. Marc and Julie Boom, and Nancy and Jack Dinerstein.

RENDEZVOUS: LIVE YOUNG, NOVEMBER 9, 2017 More than

1,400 attendees celebrated Houston Methodist at the biennial fundraising gala.

The record-setting event raised more than $3 million for research, education and patient care at Houston Methodist.

Pictured: Nicole and Evan H. Katz

HOUSTON METHODIST AND OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM: MAY 23, 2017 Houston Methodist and

Occidental Petroleum celebrated their part­ nership at the Houston Astros’ game where Occidental President and CEO Vicki Hollub threw out the first pitch. Occidental supports the Houston Methodist Community Scholars Program, which provides specialty medical care to uninsured and underserved patients in the community. Attendees included Vicki Hollub, Reid Ryan, President of Business Operations for the Houston Astros, Dr. Marc Boom, President and CEO of Houston Methodist, and Glenn Vangolen, Senior Vice President, Business Support, at Occidental.

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MITIESM FINE THURSDAY NIGHT: SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

Hosted by Anne and Jack Moriniere and Bridget and Patrick Wade, MITIESM Fine Thursday Night attendees became surgical interns for the evening and experienced an exclusive, behind-the-scenes glimpse of high-tech training facilities and innovative surgical procedures. Pictured: Dr. Barbara Bass and John F. Bookout, chairman emeritus of the Houston Methodist Board of Directors.

WALTER TOWER CELEBRATION EVENT: OCTOBER 12, 2017 Houston Methodist celebrated a

$101 million philanthropic gift from Paula and Rusty Walter and the Walter Oil & Gas Corporation to attract and retain the most talented physicians and scientists who will help pioneer lifesaving new treatments for patients suffering from diseases of all kinds. Celebrating the largest gift in the institution’s nearly 100-year history were Rich and Kayla Lewis, Rusty and Paula Walter, and Mandy and Chaz Lewis.

FOCUSING ON YOU: MARCH 2, 2017 Chaired by

Kelli Blanton and honorary chair Phoebe Tudor, Focusing on You: Women’s Health & Wellness at Every Age was a half-day Houston Methodist symposium designed to help women meet their health goals, gain valuable information and live a longer, healthier life. The special event provided sessions customized by age group, allowing attendees to receive targeted information and interact with physicians who addressed their specific health needs. Keynote speaker Connie Watt, vice president of the Justin J. Watt Foundation and proud mother to football stars JJ, Derek and TJ Watt inspired attendees through motivational stories and experiences.

Pictured: Connie Watt, Kelli Blanton and Phoebe Tudor.

NEWSLETTER CREDITS: Executive Director: Susan Coulter, JD Managing Editor: Katie Lipnick Editors: Katelyn Furman, Patti Muck, Samantha Hea Writers: Patti Muck, Rolando Garcia, Joe Milano, Adrea Latalladi, Nathan Cernosek Art Director & Designer: Karen Holland, Richards/Carlberg Photographers: Terry Vine, Richard Carson, Jody Horton , Jenny Antill Chinh Phan Illustrator: Bruce Morser

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THE PAULA AND JOSEPH C. “RUSTY” WALTER III TOWER OPENS 2018 As a result of their 2017 gift, Houston Methodist is naming the new 22-story tower in honor of Paula and Rusty Walter.

LEADING MEDICINE TO THE POWER OF CAMPAIGN FOR OUR SECOND CENTURY