I am humbled to begin this inaugural letter as the newly elected chair of the Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation Board of Directors by giving praise where it is so richly due: to you, our generous benefactors. Together, you contributed a collective $121.4 million in philanthropic support in 2025, for which we are deeply grateful.

This magazine shares the stories of some of our most dedicated donor families — recognizable names such as Cockrell and Fondren. It also welcomes new partners into the Houston Methodist family — like Toni and Dick Bergmark and Jennifer Briscoe. We are incredibly thankful to everyone who gave of your time and resources this past year. All of your stories are worth telling, and we look forward to featuring others in future issues of Leading.

It is a great honor to lead the Foundation board. Houston Methodist is well-known and highly regarded — earning a spot on the U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll of the nation’s top 20 hospitals, as well as being recognized as the No. 1 hospital in Texas for the 14th consecutive year. But what means even more is the holistic, innovative and values-based approach to transformational care that always puts the patient at the center of everything we do. Whether you have experienced this firsthand or seek to make a difference for others, thank you for investing in our lifesaving mission of leading medicine.