Family's Care, Hospital's Vision Inspire Estate Commitment

"I've long been impressed with the quality of care Regions provides to patients from all backgrounds," Carleen Rhodes said, explaining the inspiration for her recent estate commitment to Regions Hospital Foundation. "We call ourselves a safety-net hospital, meaning we catch folks who don't have the best insurance and might fall through the cracks, but just as important, we are committed to providing the highest standard of care in the finest facilities to everyone."

Over the years, Carleen's financial contributions to the foundation have crossed a range of different programs, and in 2016 she joined the organization's board. As the former president and CEO of what is now known as the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundations, she oversaw several major grants to Regions Hospital programs.

Carleen also has a personal connection to Regions: Her brother-in-law had suffered from dementia for nearly a decade before falling down a flight of stairs in 2014, and he was taken to Regions for what became end-of-life care. "The medical attention and compassion staff showed him and my sister were a comfort at a difficult time," she said.

"Personally, I care about the work Regions is doing on so many fronts: in neuroscience, decreasing the stigma around mental health, decreasing the use and abuse of opioids, enhancing the ER." Carleen helped lead efforts to raise money for the new Regions Hospital Family Birth Center, which opened in the spring of 2020. "I am thrilled that the whole approach to building the new facility is based on meeting the needs of today's families, respecting their cultural traditions and preferences for care."

In 2018, Carleen began participating in complimentary estate planning services offered by Regions Hospital Foundation. Working in philanthropy during her career, she had already given considerable thought to her legacy, but "the foundation's estate planning services challenged me to refresh my assumptions and commit even more of my estate to benefit nonprofit organizations," she said.

When it comes to her estate commitment to Regions Hospital Foundation, Carleen chose not to direct her gift to a specific purpose. "I trust that the hospital's future leaders will have priorities – some that are important today along with others – and that my estate gift will be used where it is most needed.

"The leaders of Regions Hospital and HealthPartners have a clear vision for how they can meet the diverse and expanding health care needs of the community," Carleen said. "When we give to Regions Hospital Foundation, we are helping those leaders accelerate their efforts to deliver healthcare as it should be to all who need it."