Saving a Life, Inspiring a Career, Leaving a Legacy

Tim Lindquist has chosen to include Regions Hospital in his estate plans. "It's my number one charity," he said. "I don't use the word 'blessed' much but that's how I feel about Regions. It possibly saved my life and guided me to a really rewarding career path."

Tim's personal connection to Regions began in 1987 when he was a student at Macalester College. Over the course of a few weeks he visited several emergency rooms and hospitals with ongoing flu-like symptoms and intensifying pain in his midsection, but no one made a diagnosis or created a care plan.

"I lost a lot of weight and was exhausted each day by late afternoon," Tim said. "One day I was lying on my floor and felt a bump in my abdomen. It felt like a sausage. I called my mom who said she would take me to Ramsey hospital" (which was renamed Regions in 1997). Once at Regions, a surgeon immediately diagnosed his condition: a ruptured appendix that he had probably had for several days.

"My family is an east side family and they have all the confidence in the world in Regions," Tim said. His grandfather spent several months at the hospital in 1965 after experiencing a massive stroke. In 1966 his uncle spent eight months at Regions after his convertible was hit by a semi-truck. "He walked out of here on his own," Tim said.

Tim was impressed by all the staff that participated in his surgery. He also met many nurses during his nine-day recovery in the hospital. "Making so many personal connections with nurses at Regions I thought: What an interesting job that would be."

Tim finished his bachelor's degrees in economics and French but soon tested the waters in medicine by taking a nursing assistant position. Liking the change, he went back to school for his registered nurse degree and began working at Group Health, which became HealthPartners, in 1992. By 2000 he had made his way into leadership and eventually began working in the Quality Department at Regions, where he still works as a manager.

Reviewing his estate plans has solidified Tim's feelings about Regions and its importance to the community. "I'm blown away by how much charity care we give. We don't turn anyone away," he said. "It's a big, busy hospital and can take care of everyone, from those who need general care to individuals who've experienced major car accidents, like my uncle."

Tim encourages others to contribute to Regions Hospital Foundation. "There's so much obvious need: patients experiencing mental illnesses and medical conditions, families caring for their loved ones, the need for innovation and improved facilities like our new birth center, staff members who need help advancing their careers through education. All of them need our support."