“A welcoming, carefully planned design that efficiently brings people through the ER and follows their needs is invaluable. When you arrive as a worried patient, it’s reassuring to have an immediate evaluation that quickly leads to expert care.”
—KATHERINE PINARD

As a retired nurse, Katherine Pinard understands how important the first minutes are when a patient arrives at the emergency room.

“A welcoming, carefully planned design that efficiently brings people through the ER and follows their needs is invaluable,” says Katherine. “When you arrive as a worried patient, it’s reassuring to have an immediate evaluation that quickly leads to expert care.”

Impressed by innovative plans at Brigham and Women’s Hospital to transform how its Emergency Department receives and triages patients, Katherine and her husband, Steven, gave $1 million to the hospital’s renovation efforts. To recognize the Pinards’ generosity, the Brigham is naming the new care initiation suite in their honor.

Creating a faster, more efficient triage system for the Emergency Department, the Katherine and Steven Pinard Care Initiation Suite will enable nurses and physicians to quickly assess patients and assign them to the most appropriate area to continue care.

For example, patients requiring urgent treatment for cancer or behavioral health will be directed to separate care areas tailored to their needs.

Two life-altering experiences, both linked to the Brigham, inspired the Pinards’ gift: Steve’s journey through cancer and the Boston Marathon’s 2013 bombings.

“We’ve spent a great deal of time reflecting on the major role that the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center plays in patients’ lives,” Steven explains. “For example, there can be fallbacks with chemotherapy, and when you’re sick and things are going wrong, the Brigham’s Emergency Department is the place to go for help—because of the seamless partnership it shares with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.”

Katherine adds, “Our respect for the Brigham has only grown since the bombings at the marathon. We were on the sidelines that day, and the hospital handled the emergency incredibly well. We feel certain our gift will make a truly meaningful difference.”

Former Brigham President Betsy Nabel, MD, shares this certainty. “The Pinards’ generous support will enable our Emergency Department to provide patients with a smoother, more integrated experience,” she says. “We are grateful to Katherine and Steve for sharing our vision and helping us bring it to fruition.”