April 2026

Dear Friends and Supporters,

As we celebrate 30 years of impact, we are reminded that every advancement in care begins with generosity and a shared vision for what’s possible. This issue highlights just a few of the ways philanthropy is shaping the future — from the lasting legacy of planned giving and Margaret Hodges’ transformational gift, to expanding access to Adolescent Behavioral Health services, and the continued momentum behind our More Room for Hope campaign. Each story reflects the powerful role our community plays in strengthening care today while building for tomorrow.

As we close out the fiscal year, we are excited to focus on three areas that will shape the next chapter of our work:

Cardiovascular Innovation – Expanding life-saving cardiovascular capabilities to bring advanced treatments closer to home.

Cancer and Early Detection – Advancing radiation therapy and screening technologies to catch cancer earlier and improve outcomes.

Emergency and Critical Care – Strengthening frontline hospital services to ensure rapid, effective response in urgent moments.

In the coming months, we will share opportunities to engage directly with these initiatives through specific programs and donor-supported projects. Your involvement can make an immediate difference in these vital areas.

At the same time, the power of unrestricted annual giving allows us to respond to the community’s greatest needs—supporting innovation, critical programs, and urgent priorities as they arise. These flexible gifts provide the foundation for progress across all areas of care, ensuring we can act quickly and decisively when opportunities arise.

As we celebrate 30 years of impact and look toward the future, we invite you to join us. Together, we can continue to innovate, save lives, and create hope for patients and their families and loved ones in Western North Carolina.

Best regards,

Amy Treece, Executive Director

Pardee Hospital Foundation

P.S. As we close out the fiscal year, an unrestricted gift is one of the most powerful ways to support our mission. Unrestricted gifts allow us to respond quickly to the emerging needs of the hospital. Your support, at any level, helps ensure we can continue making the greatest impact where it’s needed most.

The Pardee Hospital Foundation is honored to celebrate the life and legacy of Margaret Hodges, whose thoughtful planning and generosity will continue to support patients and families in our community for generations to come.

Margaret spent her career in the insurance industry, helping individuals and families prepare for the future. That same foresight guided her own legacy planning. She carefully considered how her assets could serve others and took comfort in knowing her gift would reflect her values of compassion, generosity, and care for her community.

When Margaret passed in October 2025, her vision became reality. Through her estate, the Pardee Hospital Foundation received more than $1.4 million — a transformational gift that will help ensure access to exceptional care close to home.

“Margaret’s gift is an extraordinary act of kindness and intention,” said Amy Treece, Executive Director of the Pardee Hospital Foundation. “Her foresight and generosity will make a meaningful difference in the health and wellbeing of our community for generations to come.”

The Power of Planned Giving

Margaret’s story is a powerful reminder that planned giving is about more than financial generosity — it is about purpose, values, and the opportunity to create a lasting impact. By including the Pardee Hospital Foundation in her estate plans, Margaret ensured her compassion would continue to serve others long beyond her lifetime.

Planned gifts can be made in a variety of ways, including through a will, trust, retirement account, or beneficiary designation. These gifts allow individuals to support the causes they care about most. Most importantly, they create a lasting legacy that strengthens healthcare for family, friends, and neighbors right here at home.

A Lasting Impact Close to Home

When donors include the Pardee Hospital Foundation in their estate plans, they help ensure UNC Health Pardee can continue investing in advanced technology, enhancing patient services, and meeting the evolving healthcare needs of our growing community. Planned gifts provide long-term stability and allow the Foundation to support priorities that make the greatest local impact.

To learn more about planned giving and how you can include the Pardee Hospital Foundation in your estate plans, visit pardeehospitalfoundation.org or contact the Foundation team at 828-233-2700.

Adolescents across Henderson County and Western North Carolina are facing rising mental health challenges, yet access to inpatient psychiatric care often means long waits in the emergency department or transfers far from home. The new Pardee Adolescent Behavioral Health unit is designed to change that — bringing specialized care closer to home while supporting families, care teams, and the community.

“This unit was designed to support everyone — helping staff engage meaningfully, creating safe spaces for adolescent healing, and strengthening access to mental health care for our community,” said April Monnich, BSN, RN-BC, CMSRN, Director of In-patient Behavioral Health.

Thoughtful design elements throughout the unit will help staff build stronger relationships with patients while creating calming spaces that promote emotional safety, trust, and recovery.

For Tim Moser, RN, Manager of Pardee Adolescent Behavioral Health, expanding access to care close to home is critical. “With rising mental health needs among youth, this unit brings critical inpatient care to our community — reducing delays, strengthening family connection, and supporting brighter futures.”

Providing care locally allows adolescents to stay connected to family and community supports, essential components of 

long-term healing, while also easing pressure on emergency services.

From the emergency department perspective, Robert Ombres, RN, Director of UNC Health Pardee Emergency Room, sees firsthand the growing need for adolescent behavioral health resources. “Having dedicated inpatient behavioral health beds for adolescents will help reduce emergency department boarding, connect patients to specialized care faster, and provide a more appropriate environment for healing during a critical time.”

The vision for healing extends beyond the unit’s interior. Bridget Fluech, MSN, RN-BC, Administrative Director of Behavioral Health and Emergency Services, emphasizes the importance of therapeutic outdoor space as part of whole-person care. “A therapeutic outdoor space extends healing beyond hospital walls — reducing anxiety, supporting emotional growth, and reminding adolescents they are worthy of connection, belonging, and whole-person healing.”

Extending Healing Beyond Hospital Walls

Through the Spaces that Heal donor support will help fund a dedicated outdoor therapeutic area designed specifically for adolescents. Access to nature can reduce anxiety, improve mood, and create opportunities for reflection, movement, and connection. 

Together, we can create a place where adolescents receive compassionate care, families stay connected, and healing happens — both inside and outside the hospital walls.

When Alice Betts made her gift to support the Pardee Cancer Center, she did so with one person in mind — her late son, Christopher Betts. Her generosity is helping create more space for healing, comfort, and compassionate care for families facing cancer, while honoring a life that continues to inspire hope.

Alice’s lead gift helped launch the Pardee Hospital Foundation’s More Room for Hope campaign, which supports the expansion of the Pardee Cancer Center and meet the growing demand for high-quality cancer care close to home. Since opening in 2016, the Cancer Center has seen steady growth, now welcoming approximately 1,000 new patients each year — a number that continues to rise.

Through her gift, Alice is helping ensure that more patients and families have access to timely, comprehensive care in a setting designed to support both healing and comfort.

“More Room for Hope is about more than bricks and mortar—it’s about creating space for healing,” said Amy Treece, Executive Director of the Pardee Hospital Foundation. “Alice’s generosity helped build early momentum for this expansion and reflects the personal impact cancer care has on families across our community.”

Honoring a Life, Creating a Legacy

For many donors, giving is deeply personal. Alice’s decision to support the Cancer Center expansion reflects a desire to honor Christopher’s memory while making a meaningful difference for others navigating cancer.

Her gift also highlights the opportunity for donors to create lasting legacies through naming opportunities. These spaces — from treatment and infusion areas to family waiting rooms and healing environments — will serve as visible reminders of the individuals and families who believe in bringing hope to patients close to home.

Each naming opportunity represents more than a physical space. It represents compassion, remembrance, and a commitment to ensuring future patients receive exceptional care in a welcoming, patient-centered environment.

More Room for Patients. More Room for Hope.

Alice Betts’ gift sets the tone for the campaign — one rooted in love, remembrance, and hope for the future. Her generosity is already helping inspire others to consider how they, too, can honor loved ones while supporting cancer care in their community.

Through gifts like hers, the expanded Cancer Center will provide more room for healing, more room for families, and more room for hope.

To learn more about the More Room for Hope campaign or available naming opportunities, contact the Pardee Hospital Foundation at 828-233-2700.

UNC Health Pardee Celebrates Brevard Campus Opening with Ribbon Cutting

UNC Health Pardee recently celebrated the opening of its new Brevard Campus medical office building, expanding access to primary care and additional outpatient services for Transylvania County and surrounding communities. The new location reflects a continued commitment to making high-quality care more convenient and accessible close to home, with additional services opening this spring.

Read the full story

Business North Carolina ranks UNC Health Pardee as a 2026 Best Hospital

UNC Health Pardee has been named a 2026 Best Hospital by Business North Carolina, recognized for excellence across key quality metrics and patient experience. The honor reflects Pardee’s commitment to delivering safe, high-quality, compassionate care every day.

Read more 

UNC Health Pardee Opens New Outpatient Infusion Center

UNC Health Pardee has opened a new outpatient infusion center in Hendersonville, expanding access to specialized treatments in a comfortable, patient-centered setting. This investment enhances care coordination and reflects a continued commitment to meeting growing community needs close to home.

Read the full story 

Looking for ways to get involved and make a meaningful impact? Our upcoming events — She Slays 5K, Pardee Royale, and the Women Helping Women Luncheon — offer a variety of opportunities to support Pardee Hospital Foundation while connecting with others who share a passion for improving health in our community. Whether you walk, attend, sponsor, or spread the word, your participation helps to continue our mission of ensure UNC Health Pardee continues to provide exceptional care and inspire health for generations to come.

She Slays 5K brings our community together for a fun and empowering run/walk that supports women’s health initiatives while celebrating strength, wellness, and the impact of giving. Come slay with us on Saturday, April 25th.

Pardee Royale is scheduled for Saturday, July 25, and will be an unforgettable evening of fun and philanthropy, bringing the community together to support Pardee Adolescent Behavioral Health.

Women Helping Women Luncheon celebrates the power of women supporting women while raising awareness and funding for programs that advance women’s health in our community. Save the Date for this year’s luncheon, scheduled for Friday, October 23.