Karen and Rob Hale Make Historic Philanthropic Gifts to Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital

On Monday, January 22, Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) jointly announced a transformational gift from Rob and Karen Hale and their family to support cutting-edge innovation and patient care at both institutions.

“Having seen devastating diseases directly touch many of our family members and friends, we’re committed to finding cures and helping more patients walk away with a victory,” says Karen.

“Karen and I see Boston as an epicenter for far-reaching medical advances,” stated Rob Hale. “Both Boston Children’s and the Brigham are international leaders in their research and understanding of diseases. With our investment in these two world-class institutions, we hope to impact millions of patients.”

Karen and Rob are prominent Boston-area philanthropists with deep ties to BWH and BCH. They both serve on the Trust Board for Boston Children’s and have chaired numerous fundraising events for BCH and BWH. Karen serves on BWH’s Cancer Advisory Board and Rob, who is CEO of Quincy-based Granite Telecommunications, serves as a chair of BWH’s $1.5 billion Life.Giving.Breakthroughs. campaign, as well as on the Steering Committee for Boston Children’s Dream, Dare, Deliver campaign.

“Rob, Karen and their family are inspiring in their tireless commitment to the future of healthcare — and the children who are at the heart of that future,” says Sandra L. Fenwick, President and CEO, Boston Children’s Hospital. “Their gift will help us deliver even more of the best care for so many families, from the most complex and fragile children from around the world to the most essential primary and preventive care in our community, close to home.”

“The Hale family’s gift is a major investment in the future of medicine and the lives of our patients and their loved ones,” adds Betsy Nabel, MD, president of Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “Their extraordinary generosity will fuel innovation and discovery that will one day eradicate some of the world’s most complex diseases and conditions.”

Transforming Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital

In recognition of the Hales’ transformative gift, BWH will name their recently opened building the Hale Building for Transformative Medicine. One of the most technologically sophisticated patient care and research facilities in the country, the new building co-locates researchers and clinicians in neurosciences, orthopaedics, rheumatology, immunology, and musculoskeletal health who work together to accelerate research and bring treatments and cures to patients more quickly. The building houses the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases; the Evergrande Center for Immunologic Diseases; The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation; The Neurosciences Center; the Orthopaedics and Arthritis Center, the Brigham Innovation Hub, which helps turn breakthrough concepts into products and services that improve care delivery, and the Translational Accelerator, a resource that provides researchers with the infrastructure, expertise, and guidance to help them translate their discoveries into clinical trials for patients. The building is also home to an infusion suite and imaging center featuring some of the most powerful and precise technologies in the world-including a 7 Tesla MRI, the first to be installed in a clinical setting in North America.

Transforming Tomorrow for every child at Boston Children’s Hospital

Boston Children’s will name their future 11-story clinical building in honor of the Hales’ remarkable gift. Designed to transform medical care for children facing complex conditions, and to meet the growing demand for the hospital’s services, the new building will include a comprehensive and integrated five-floor Heart Center; a state-of-the-art NICU with 30 beds replacing large open spaces with private rooms, expanded surgical space-including 10 new operating rooms, contiguous to 12 renovated operating rooms-incorporating sophisticated technologies for advanced minimally invasive procedures, all single inpatient rooms for privacy, safety and comfort of patients and families, and 25% more healing green and open space throughout the hospital.

Learn more about the Hales’ transformative gifts to Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital.