BOSTON - Boston Medical Center Health System (BMC Health System) has announced a $5 million gift from Emeritus Board Member Susan Donahue and her husband Douglas "Digger" A. Donahue, both longtime BMC champions, to establish and endow the Chief Executive Office Chair. This is one of the first endowed presidential chairs at an essential hospital. The Susan and Digger Donahue Chief Executive Officer Chair will help secure visionary leadership at BMC Health System for years to come.
As the Chair’s inaugural holder, Alastair Bell, MD, MBA, President & CEO of BMC Health System, will harness this support to propel the health system into a new era of innovative care delivery, groundbreaking research, and sustainable growth that reaches every corner of the community it serves.
The endowment will create a foundation of stability, providing BMC Health System with flexible, discretionary funds, allowing the organization’s leadership to make bold, patient-centered decisions.
"I am grateful for this remarkable show of support from two champions who truly understand what BMC Health System stands for," said Bell. "Their investment in our leadership infrastructure arrives at a critical time when essential hospitals are navigating an increasingly challenging financial landscape. It enhances our ability to drive innovation and strengthens our capacity to serve the patients and communities who rely on us, ensuring we can continue to deliver high-quality, compassionate healthcare."
The Donahues have given many generous gifts to BMC over the years, including an investment to support a campus renovation initiative in 2018. They have also played an instrumental role in building BMC Health System's broader philanthropic infrastructure, generously opening their network and widely sharing the health system's mission. Their efforts have helped secure critical funding to empower patients and the community to thrive
"What's most unique about BMC Health System is that it focuses on the whole person," said BMC Emeritus Board Member Susan Donahue. "The health system wraps its arms around patients, addressing their medical and social challenges, with comprehensive programs that go above and beyond providing traditional care and an unparalleled commitment to excellence."
“When an institution like BMC Health System is driving innovation and serving as a source of medical thought leadership, we have a responsibility to ensure that impact is supported and broadly recognized,” said Digger Donahue.
About Boston Medical Center Health System
Boston Medical Center Health System is an integrated academic healthcare system that models a new kind of excellence in healthcare where clinical and operational innovation meets health equity and access. BMC Health System is dedicated to advancing scientific discovery and access to care, partnering with our communities, and developing scalable approaches to restore and maintain health. With more than 15,000 dedicated employees, BMC Health System includes our founding academic medical center, Boston Medical Center, two hospitals in the community, WellSense Health Plan, and other health-enhancing entities serving patients and health plan members across New England and beyond.