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Karen and Rob Hale make historic gift to BWH

Brigham and Women’s Hospital is thrilled to share the news that longtime benefactors and good friends Karen and Rob Hale have made a historic, transformational gift to Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH). The Hales’ extraordinary generosity marks a major milestone in BWH’s $1.5 billion Life.Giving.Breakthroughs. campaign and, most significantly, a major investment in the future of medicine and the lives of our patients and their loved ones. In recognition of the Hales’ transformative gift—the largest individual gift in BWH’s history—BWH will name our recently opened clinical and research facility at 60 Fenwood Road the Hale Building for Transformative Medicine.


“The Hale family’s gift is a major investment in the future of medicine and the lives of our patients and their loved ones. Their extraordinary generosity will fuel innovation and discovery that will one day eradicate some of the world’s most complex diseases and conditions.”BWH President Betsy Nabel, MD


Karen and Rob Hale

Karen and Rob are prominent Boston-area philanthropists with deep ties to BWH. Karen currently serves on BWH’s Cancer Research and Care Advisory Board and Rob, who is president and CEO of Quincy-based Granite Telecommunications, serves as a chair of our Life.Giving.Breakthroughs. campaign and is a member of the President’s Advisory Board. Together, Karen and Rob have also chaired numerous BWH fundraising events, in addition to making previous significant gifts to support capital improvements in the Cancer Pavilion and to establish the Rob and Karen Hale Distinguished Chair in Surgical Oncology.

With their historic gift, Karen and Rob are now helping BWH take a giant leap forward in our work to fuel innovation and eradicate disease. Specifically, their gift will sustain and advance the collaborations currently taking place between clinicians and researchers within the Hale Building for Transformative Medicine.

One of the most technologically sophisticated patient care and research facilities in the country, the Hale Building for Transformative Medicine co-locates researchers and clinicians in neurosciences, orthopaedics, rheumatology, immunology, and musculoskeletal health who work together to accelerate research and bring treatments and cures to patients more quickly.


“Having seen devastating diseases directly touch many of our family members and friends, we’re committed to finding cures and helping more patients walk away with a victory.” Karen Hale


Originally opened in 2016, the building is outfitted with the latest cutting-edge technologies—including an imaging center featuring the first 7 Tesla MRI to be installed in a clinical setting in North America. The building houses several collaborative centers, including the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases; the Evergrande Center for Immunologic Diseases; The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation; The Neurosciences Center; and the Orthopaedics and Arthritis Center. To help accelerate scientific discoveries, the building is also home to the Brigham Innovation Hub, which helps turn breakthrough concepts into products and services that improve care delivery, and the Translational Accelerator, a resource that provides researchers with the infrastructure, expertise, and guidance to help them translate their discoveries into meaningful therapies for patients.

“Karen and I see Boston as an epicenter for far-reaching medical advances,” stated Rob Hale. “With our investment, we hope to impact millions of patients.”

In addition to their historic gift to BWH, the Hales have also made a transformative gift to Boston Children’s Hospital that will support a new building designed to transform medical care for children facing complex conditions and meet the growing demand for the hospital’s services.