Leading with Passion
Carol F. Anderson, who began her tenure as chair of the Board of Directors in October 2017, is no stranger to BIDMC. First elected to the Trustee Advisory Board in 2004, she became a director in 2005. But her involvement started much earlier than that. It all began more than a century ago when her great grandfather, Julius Friedman, who lived less than a mile away, chose Beth Israel Hospital for himself and his family. Anderson’s grandparents—on both sides—as well as her parents, made the same choice. Generations later, in 1998, Anderson started volunteering and sharing her expertise with BIDMC—and from that day forward, she never stopped. What’s more, she and her husband, Howard Anderson, have been supporters of the institution since they made their first Annual Fund gift in 1995—and they have continued to share their story and vision ever since.
Carol and Howard’s most generous commitment of $2.5 million to the Campus Transformation Fund paves the way for a future of lasting excellence at BIDMC, rooted in our ability to continue delivering innovations in patient care, research, and medical education. The Andersons’ appreciation and devotion to BIDMC is palpable, and their willingness to champion the extraordinary things taking shape there each and every day is truly inspirational.
The Board of Directors has a very full agenda these days, and Carol remains dedicated to ensuring that the BID system maintains a reputation that we can all be proud of. “Our focus will continue to be on bringing innovation to our top clinical and research priorities and advancing our facilities and campus to bring them on par with the excellence of our staff,” she says. “One of my most important roles will be to engage new and potential supporters and share my excitement about the groundbreaking changes underway at BIDMC.”
Conversations with longtime supporters like Carol and Howard continue to shape the vision for BIDMC’s campus transformation project. The mission of campus transformation is to dramatically advance how medicine is experienced at BIDMC. With inspired leadership and a reputation that is stronger than ever, the medical center is well-poised to make this vision a reality. “BIDMC is truly unique,” says Howard. “It has a model of care that is very distinctive—it encourages an incredible culture of collaboration and provides state-of-the-art care that is compassionate and service-oriented.”