After making generous gifts to support the Brigham’s research during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chleck Family Foundation is propelling two additional important endeavors. The foundation’s recent $2.25 million contribution will support nursing innovation initiatives, as well as patient experience and provider engagement efforts in the Brigham’s Emergency Department (ED).

“Nurses play such an essential role at the Brigham,” notes Ross Levine, the foundation’s president. “And the Emergency Department is the hospital’s front door. By supporting these two critical areas, we felt we could impact the whole hospital and help inform practice, policies, and protocols across the system.”

Pamela Linzer, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, associate chief nursing officer for the Center for Nursing Excellence, Nursing Professional Development, Patient Care Services, notes that nurses are uniquely positioned to advance groundbreaking projects that can improve patient care. “Our nurses’ presence at the bedside and leadership in research and innovation are pivotal to identifying new ways to enhance the patient experience,” she says. “This generous gift from the Chleck Family Foundation expands our nursing research platform and will boost our capacity for education, fellowship, and mentorship opportunities.”

Similarly, the foundation’s commitment to the Brigham’s Emergency Department will impact patients and providers alike. “Our goal is to provide expert, compassionate care to every patient who comes through our doors,” says Michael J. VanRooyen, MD, MPH, chief of enterprise emergency medicine at Mass General Brigham and the Bohan Professor of Emergency Medicine.

VanRooyen says these initiatives could serve as a model for improvements to the patient experience across the entire Mass General Brigham system. He notes, “With this gift, we can focus on staffing, expand training sessions, and implement operational improvements across the ED that boost staff engagement—which translates into better care for our patients.”

Levine and the Chleck Foundation, which was established in his grandfather’s name, are proud to partner in these efforts. “We are thrilled with the Brigham’s dedication to patients and to the people who work there,” Levine says. “And we’re hopeful that peer institutions across the country can learn from this example.”