Stories and Events

Dr. Andrew Robertson, an exceptional Methodist physician and longtime Methodist Hospital Foundation Board member, passed away on October 30.

As a leader of one of the largest high-risk perinatal groups in the region, Dr. Robertson cared for countless mothers and babies during some of life's most challenging moments.

Dr. Robertson retired in 2023. His distinguished career was marked by extraordinary medical expertise, compassion and remarkable moments of care, including the delivery of the first spontaneous identical triplets at Methodist Women's Hospital.

We are grateful for his longtime service as a member of the Foundation Board, including time as Board chair. Dr. Robertson's leadership was pivotal in efforts to launch and expand Methodist Women's Hospital, ensuring future generations of women and families have access to the highest level of care.

Planning for the future doesn’t have to be complicated or costly.

Methodist Hospital Foundation wants you to know: You can create your will in about 20 minutes, completely free of charge, using FreeWill. It's a simple, secure online platform.

If you choose, you can leave a lasting gift to Methodist that'll bring hope and healing to future generations.

Women from throughout our community joined us for Caring for the Caregiver, our latest Women Connect event at Nebraska Methodist College.  

The October morning was packed with expert advice, free flu shots, guided meditation, mental health assessments and more

Another highlight? Attendees came together to support programs that improve access to women's health care and education, including Methodist Mobile 3D Mammography.

Our tenth event is slated for February 2027. Stay tuned—we can’t wait to share the details! 

We’ve launched a Methodist retired employees’ group. We want you to be part of it. 

Stay connected to 
The people, 
The calling, 
The Meaning of Care.

We’ll make sure you’re up-to-date on retiree gatherings and volunteer opportunities, free continuing education through Nebraska Methodist College, health system news, and ways to make a difference with Methodist Hospital Foundation.

Thanks to everyone who joined Methodist Volunteers in Partnership (VIP) for the 19th Annual Methodist Golf Classic at Tiburon Golf Club. 

It was a great day of golf dedicated to friends, fun and relaxation in support of a new Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Wellness Center at Methodist Hospital.

What a wonderful evening! We appreciate everyone who joined us for Life in Bloom, Methodist Volunteers In Partnership’s spring gala. 

This evening of cocktails, cuisine and garden-inspired fun is helping to transform Methodist's rehab gym into a state-of-the-art wellness space, expanding access to advanced equipment, virtual rehab and additional therapies like yoga and tai chi. 

Most importantly, it will extend care beyond short-term rehab, giving patients the tools and support they need to thrive for years to come!

Thanks to a partnership between Methodist, Leap-for-a-Cure and the Omaha Lancers, the Lancers presented Leap-for-a-Cure with a check for $9,280 — money raised at the 2026 Hockey Fights Cancer game and associated jersey auction.

The funds will go towards enhancements of Heather’s Healing Pad, an aquatic therapy space at Methodist HealthWest, including new aquatic exercise equipment, deck furniture and drop-in portable stairs.

Since its inception in 2008, Leap-for-a-Cure has raised more than $1 million to help fund resources for Methodist patients. Heather’s Healing Pad opened in October 2017.

Sixth grader Skylar Hinkle did something pretty remarkable for her 11^th birthday in April.

Instead of gifts, she asked friends and relatives to donate books for our NICU babies and their families. 

Skylar collected about 240 beloved children's books, including The Rainbow Fish, Goodnight Moon, and The Pout Pout Fish, which was her cousin Emily’s favorite. She was the inspiration for all of this. 

Emily was born with a rare disorder and required care in our NICU. She passed away at home before her first birthday.

We’re grateful to Skylar and her family for honoring Emily in such a beautiful way—by bringing comfort and support to other NICU families. They truly love the books they receive.

Scare Away Cancer’s longtime support of the Inner Beauty Salon at the Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center continues in 2026 with an incredible $20,000 donation! The money will provide wigs, mastectomy bras, other garments and accessories to patients who may be unable to afford them.

Scare Away Cancer is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operated by employee volunteers from MCL Construction. Thank you for being such a steady partner and for always helping the Inner Beauty of our patients shine through. Keep spreading kindness and making a difference!

Did you know your support is currently funding a pack of robotic therapy pets for older hospitalized adults?

These furry friends, which respond to human touch and make lifelike sounds and movements, cost about $120 each.

“It was nice to be able to witness firsthand the positive effect the robotic pets had on our patients,” said Ginger Gifford, MSN, RN, service leader for the Acute Care for Elders (ACE) Unit.

Christmas may be over, but one beloved Omaha Santa is still gifting to others—all in thanks for the gift of recovery that he received.

Rod Jewell donated an extensive assortment of therapy supplies and treatment tools to support patients on 4-South at Methodist Hospital. Rod suffered a stroke in July. His intensive rehab started at Methodist.

The therapy team welcomed him back in January as they unpacked box after box—everything from balance and mobility equipment to games and musical items that will aid patient recovery.

"It was wonderful to see that," Rod said. "I knew this donation would be meaningful at the patient level."

Delivering joy is nothing new for Rod. He's played Santa at events across Omaha for several years. We're grateful for his thoughtful gift and the lasting impact it will have on patients working toward healing and independence.

We're celebrating a major milestone in women’s health! Our Methodist Mobile 3D Mammography team performed a record-breaking 3,807 screenings at businesses and community locations in 2025.  

This important work would not be possible without our dedicated community sponsors. Thanks to KETV for shining a spotlight on the difference they're making. You can watch the story here: Mobile mammography coach saving lives in Omaha

Help us keep the life-saving momentum going! Join us as a women’s health sponsor and take the lead in providing access to care and education.

Our family of donors is key to ensuring the best possible start for our tiniest patients. Thanks to you, the NICU at Methodist Women's Hospital has expanded twice and implemented the latest technology, including a virtual care platform. 

As part of NICU Awareness Month in September, KETV popped by the NICU to highlight one of the health system's most sought-after volunteer positions: NICU cuddler. 

Your support made this possible! The Latacha Education Center is now open at Methodist Hospital. 

It includes dedicated education and conference space for patients and families and a lab with two advanced patient simulators. Staff can practice trauma scenarios, medical emergencies and more in this safe, controlled environment.

What makes this project even more significant — it’s named in memory of beloved Methodist electrophysiologist Dr. Matthew Latacha (1976-2023).

Our donors are making life-saving research possible, and the world is taking note.

The groundbreaking project, based at Methodist Women’s Hospital, recently earned the esteemed 2025 Norman F. Gant Award for Best Research in Maternal Medicine. It’s a study of medications used to treat high blood pressure in pregnant and postpartum women. 

Methodist Hospital Foundation funded the randomized controlled trial. Study co-leader Todd Lovgren, MD, a Methodist maternal-fetal medicine specialist, says this research could not have moved forward without our donors’ generous gifts.

We're sending our thanks to students from First Lutheran Church in Blair. They recently gave back by assembling care kits for chemotherapy patients at Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center. The kits included stuffed animals, notes, coloring books, and hand-knit prayer shawls. 

Cheryl Bohacek, a service executive with oncology services, says patients "have gratitude knowing that someone is thinking of them and cares about them. That goes a long way.” 

We’re grateful for the students' support and look forward to future projects!

As part of the Foundation's most recent Women Connect event, attendees were offered free skin spot checks. That’s what drew Nancy Watts in—and led to a potentially life-saving discovery.

“If it hadn’t been for Women Connect, I’d probably still be sitting on it and not knowing that it was melanoma,” Watts said.

The new expansion at Methodist Women’s Hospital opened on February 5, 2024—just over two years after we launched the For All Women fundraising campaign. This is another proud Methodist moment. 

“Because of you, more women will have access to quality, compassionate care at every stage of life. We're grateful for your caring hearts and the way you support our patients and their families.” – Tracy Madden-McMahon, president and CEO, Methodist Hospital Foundation

A project three years in the making has resulted in an emergency department that’s doubled its patient rooms (12 to 24) and nearly doubled its square footage – all to more efficiently and safely care for the Omaha community.

None of this would be happening without you and your dedicated support: $25 million raised! 

We're sending a special thank-you to the Cottonwood Quilters Club! Members have been creating one-of-a-kind quilts for NICU families at Methodist Women's Hospital since 2021. 

The club estimates it has donated around 600 quilts. Each one, on average, takes about eight hours to make.  

During a recent tour of the newly expanded NICU, one of the quilters shared that she gives back to Methodist because her three grandsons are NICU graduates. She said this is her way of paying it forward to other families.

We want you to meet one of our newest donors, Omaha sixth grader Jerris Schultz. 

Jerris woke up one morning wanting to do something good — so she did. Now, she's making a difference for patients in need as a tribute to her grandfather and the care he received at Methodist. 

A work of art we're especially proud of is getting the star treatment it deserves. 

The “Magic of Murals” program, which aired on Nebraska Public Media in February, featured the vibrant mural leading to the Adam M. Koslosky Reflection Garden just south of Methodist Hospital. 

Young artists with the Kent Bellows Mentoring Program created the three-part mural. It is highlighted in the documentary with other murals from across the state.

Since the beginning of her cancer journey, Pat Hastings has had a team of people supporting her, including our Methodist Hospital Foundation donors. Through your support of Harper’s Hope Cancer Survivorship Program and Inner Beauty Salon, you've touched Pat's life and the lives of so many others on a path toward healing.

Methodist Health System is proud to announce a new partnership with Scoular that will bolster mental health care services to youths and adults throughout the Omaha community.

The Scoular Foundation has donated $250,000 to Methodist Hospital Foundation to support the Methodist Community Counseling Program. 

We're thankful for the layers of support that made the new therapy gym at Methodist Hospital possible, including Methodist Hospital Foundation donors and Methodist Volunteers in Partnership (VIP). The VIP raised more than $737,000 for the gym through various avenues: its annual galas and golf tournament fundraisers, gift shops, membership dues, and other donations. 

Foundation donors are investing in innovation – a new virtual care platform at Methodist Women's Hospital that will offer secure live-stream patient viewing to NICU parents and family members anywhere, anytime.

DeDra Robb hadn’t met Adam Wells, MD, before Saturday, April 30. But Dr. Wells, the medical director of Methodist Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU), quickly deduced two things: how dire DeDra’s situation was and how much she wanted to see her 17-year-old son graduate from high school.

Thank you to KETV for shining a spotlight on Methodist Inner Beauty Salon, a specialty salon for cancer survivors. Our donors play an important supporting role with Inner Beauty. Your generosity is helping to empower individuals to reclaim confidence, comfort and control over their appearance and sense of self during their cancer journey. 

A place of tranquility and beauty at Methodist Women’s Hospital now pays tribute to the visionary physician leader, surgeon and educator who helped make it possible.

Inspired by the bravery of those battling cancer, our Methodist Hospital Foundation donors continue to respond with generosity. Through your support of Harper’s Hope Cancer Survivorship Program and Inner Beauty Salon, you've touched the life of Crystal Slaughter and so many others on a journey toward healing.

A special thanks to Cox Charities for supporting our Methodist Equipment Loan Program with a $5,000 Community Involvement Grant.

Leap-for-a-Cure is an incredible partner to those battling cancer and to our Methodist Hospital Foundation. A recent tour underscored the real impact its generosity is having on our Methodist patients.

It's been on the Methodist rehabilitation staff’s wish list for years. Thanks to a gift from the Nebraska chapter of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the dream is now a reality.

“This device will change lives,” said Tracy Madden-McMahon, president and CEO of Methodist Hospital Foundation.

Your generous support of Methodist Mobile 3D Mammography helped bring the pink coach to Latino Center of the Midlands in November. Two visits resulted in 40 women receiving mammograms — women who, otherwise, could have gone unscreened. 

When patients are in need or their families are feeling overwhelmed, Methodist’s social work team continually steps in with skill, creativity and compassion. Backing them up? Methodist Hospital Foundation and our generous donors.

More people are being screened for diabetes – and vaccinated against COVID-19 – because of our Methodist Hospital Foundation donors. 

Your gifts help support Nebraska Methodist College’s Mobile Diabetes Center (MDC), which provides free screenings and more to underserved members of our communities.

Inspired by the bravery of those battling cancer, our Methodist Hospital Foundation donors continue to respond with generosity. You've touched the life of Sandy Krupka and so many others on a journey toward healing.

A touching gift to Methodist Hospital Foundation proves that, even decades later, gratitude doesn't expire.

The Caring Cradle is a device that cools and offers a more dignified, comfortable way for parents and families to spend time with a baby who has passed away.

Honoring the Individuals, groups and business that help Methodist deliver The Meaning of Care.