IMPACT REP RT 2025
Your support is changing health care now and for future generations.
In 2025, your generosity helped University Health Foundation fund crucial projects and initiatives that are transforming health care in our community. Together, we are making a direct impact on the health and well-being of patients, families and neighborhoods across Bexar County.
The Impact You Made Possible
Moving Health Care Forward for Our Region
$1,555,488
Your support made it possible for us to purchase life-saving medical equipment like the Ion Robotic Bronchoscopy system to detect lung cancer. By performing biopsies on hard-to-reach nodules with exceptional precision, the Ion Robotic Bronchoscopy system improves detection and provides more accurate results. For patients, this means a minimally invasive procedure that reduces discomfort and recovery time.
Funding Advanced Technology & Support
$204,650
Your generosity drove innovation across University Health and enhanced the quality of patient care. At University Health Women's & Children's Hospital, donor dollars expanded access to critical health care for young patients and families through funding the da Vinci Robotic Xi Surgical System, specialized staff and resources for parents.
Bridging the Gap to Fund Life-Saving Initiatives
$54,400
Your gifts created a tipping point and filled gaps to move important projects forward, including an upgrade to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Sonosite PX ultrasound system, which delivers the level of clarity necessary to care for the hospital's smallest patients.
Helping Transformational Projects Take Root
$1,608,257
Groundbreaking projects and initiatives were made possible because of your generosity! The Milk Bank, opening in late 2026, is the first of its kind in South Texas. This innovative facility will deliver essential nutrition to premature and medically fragile babies across our region, ensuring they receive the vital support needed for healthy development.
Supporting Education for University Health Team Members
$120,553
In 2025, 45 University Health team members and family members received scholarships to further their education. These opportunities allow staff to grow their skills and deliver exceptional care to patients. Additionally, four new scholarship opportunities became available last year, creating even more pathways to advance education.
THE CHECKUP THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
Within each of us is an inner compass, an illumination of the soul that gently guides us toward what matters most. It’s the quiet voice that says “go,” even when everything feels normal. For marketing executive Fran Freeland Yanity, that voice led her to a decision that would ultimately save her life.
“I felt completely fine,” Fran said. “I had no symptoms. If I hadn’t gone in, I would have never known.”
In late 2024, Fran’s life was full, fast-paced and running smoothly, with no signs to slow her down. As a well-known leader in the marketing and advertising industry, Fran works behind the scenes of not one, but three powerhouse agencies: as President and COO of The PM Group, CEO of Noisy Trumpet Communications and CEO of Ninth Floor Events. But one day, a sense of curiosity urged her to set aside time to care for her future and schedule an executive physical.
What Fran wasn’t expecting was that a heart scan would reveal a small nodule on her lung. What seemed to her provider at first to be a minor finding soon became a series of appointments at University Health with months of follow-ups, additional chest scans and a few procedures. Then, in
September 2025, Fran was diagnosed with having lung adenocarcinoma, which is one of the most common forms of lung cancer.
Although the news was life-altering, Fran never doubted she was in the right hands. Surrounded by a team of skilled physicians and advanced technology, she moved forward with optimism.
During her surgery, the donor-funded Ion Robotic Bronchoscopy system, designed to reach even the most difficult areas of the lung, helped physicians find her tumor early and treat her cancer when it was still curable. In October 2025, Fran underwent a robotic-assisted lobectomy, and today, she is now proudly cancer-free.
“I woke up feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude,” Fran said. “I knew without a doubt, this saved my life.”
For generations, members of our community have turned to University Health in moments they never saw coming. Like Fran, they discovered world-class, leading-edge care at our academic medical center which is also a public safety-net hospital. This care is made possible in part by philanthropy.
Donor investments help bring leading-edge technology directly to patients, eliminating the need to travel far from home in search of answers and giving more people access to life-saving care when it matters most.
Along with the many marketing and advertising accolades that Fran possesses, she is also well-known for her philanthropic endeavors. Her expertise has led her down a path of supporting numerous fundraising efforts for several nonprofits and charitable causes. But today, her altruism has extended to a cause that completely changed her outlook on life.
“We talk about mammograms. We talk about colonoscopies,” Fran said. “But no one is talking about lung cancer, no one is talking about lung cancer screenings.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 20% of people who get lung cancer have never smoked. Through sharing her story, Fran hopes to raise awareness and encourage more open conversations about early detection, helping others understand that this disease can affect anyone and that talking about it is the first step toward change.
Today, Fran is not only using her voice to advocate for early lung cancer awareness, but she also encourages others to support University Health Foundation.
“The next big advancement in care is always on the horizon,” Fran said. “By supporting University Health Foundation, you’re helping make sure it happens here, close to home.”
DONORS HELP UNIVERSITY HEALTH TEAM MEMBERS REACH FOR THE STARS
Each year, University Health Foundation donors help University Health team members expand their knowledge and grow their skills through funding scholarships and educational opportunities. Whether they’re continuing their studies or pursuing advanced certifications, these resources are designed to support their journeys, so that one day the expertise they gain can help transform the lives of the patients and families we serve. Sometimes, those funds also change the trajectory of a team
Before applying for the scholarship, Jose said he would have needed to work extra hours to fund his education. Now, thanks to an anonymous donor, he can dedicate more time and energy to his studies and build the future career of his
“The scholarship has motivated me to keep going,” Jose said. “I was planning to take a break, but now I feel like there’s no reason to stop. If I have the support, why not keep pushing forward?”
Next, Jose plans to continue his education and pursue his Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a goal he once thought would require time away from school to save money.
These scholarships allow Jose and others at University Health to not only advance their own careers but also help shape the future of health care in our community.
“I always try to go the extra mile just to see a kid smile,” Jose said. “That’s how I want patients to remember me.”
The Foundation is grateful to our donors who believe in supporting educational opportunities that provide equal access and have become a reliable resource for our team members.