Daphne Hatsopoulos and her family have relied on Massachusetts General Hospital for expert, personalized care for more than five decades. Most recently, when her husband, George, received hospice care at home for cardiovascular disease, Daphne and her family consulted with his caregivers and made treatment decisions from the privacy of their household. Facing that moment in a quiet, comforting space helped to decrease their stress and allowed them to meaningfully support one another.
With that experience in mind, Daphne recently gave a $1 million gift to name a private consultation room in the new Phillip and Susan Ragon Building, which will be a cornerstone of cardiovascular and cancer care for future patients at Mass General Brigham (MGB).
“A patient’s family should always have a nice, welcoming area to talk and make decisions together about their loved one. It meant a lot to my family to have those conversations in a quiet, calming space. I think George would have liked to be part of providing that experience for future patients and their families.”
The George Hatsopoulos Consultation Room will be part of a Healing Village in the Herb Chambers Tower, one of the Ragon Building’s two inpatient towers. Each Healing Village will include an Atrium, a Mezzanine and a Consultation Room. With views of the Boston skyline, these bright, open spaces will serve as the main gathering areas for admitted patients and their visitors during a hospital stay. The light-filled consultation rooms, which will be equipped with smart televisions and comfortable seating, will allow families to have intimate discussions or meet with their loved ones’ care teams in private.
“Even if they are in the hospital and not at home, a patient’s family should always have a warm, welcoming area to talk and make decisions together about their loved one,” says Daphne. “It meant a lot to my family to have those conversations in a quiet, calming space. I think George would have liked to be part of providing that experience for future patients and their families.”
“It’s My Hospital”
In addition to her husband George, Daphne’s father chose Mass General for his care and treatment for kidney failure, further strengthening their family’s connection to the hospital and its dedicated care teams. In 2016, when Daphne was diagnosed with breast cancer, she continued to choose Mass General for her treatment, saying it was an easy decision.
“It’s my hospital,” says Daphne. “The caregivers here are so supportive and always focused on providing each of their patients the best outcome and highest quality of life possible.”
Today, Daphne sees the same physician who cared for her father. And her family’s longstanding relationship with Mass General will continue through her support of the Ragon Building, which will centralize its cardiovascular and cancer services under one roof. The new building will also advance clinical research in new ways, including easier patient access to higher complexity clinical trials. In turn, caregivers will deliver the most accurate and effective care and deepen their understanding of disease.
“Cancer is so complex and different for each person,” says Daphne. “Being able to do things like test someone’s biopsy and adjust their medication in real time, just a few floors away from the patient, will do amazing things to improve care. That close proximity is so important.”
Co-designed with extensive input from patients and families, the Ragon Building will transform how MGB delivers care now, and for generations to come. The nearly two million-square-foot facility will enable caregivers to better meet the growing demand for MGB’s expert services and provide a supportive and compassionate experience for patients — and their loved ones.
To learn more about the Phillip and Susan Ragon Building, contact us.
