The Miriam Hospital hosted their Centennial Celebration on Saturday, May 2, welcoming 425 donors, friends, and supporters to the WaterFire Arts Center in Providence, Rhode Island.
From left to right: Susan H. Kaplan, Co-chair; David Rampone, Chair of The Miriam Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees; Maria P. Ducharme, DNP, RN, President, The Miriam Hospital and Chief Quality Executive, Brown University Health; and Susan Bazar, Co-chair.
Susan Bazar and Susan H. Kaplan, Co-chairs of the Centennial Campaign, served as co-chairs for the elegant evening, which featured sumptuous food, live music, and an immersive, multi-media historical experience that highlighted the century of impact The Miriam has had on the community it serves.
Maria P. Ducharme, DNP, RN, President, The Miriam Hospital and Chief Quality Executive, Brown University Health, framed up the reason for the event in her opening remarks. “Tonight we celebrate 100 years of care and compassion and honor the extraordinary people who made The Miriam Hospital possible,” she said, “as well as lay the foundation for our next century of excellence.”
Honoring the Late Alan G. Hassenfeld
The event recognized the trailblazing women whose courage and compassion founded the hospital and also featured posthumous recognition of Alan G. Hassenfeld as The Miriam Person of the Year for his visionary leadership and enduring commitment to the hospital.
“Being recognized as The Miriam Person of the Year is an honor that extends far beyond philanthropy,” President Ducharme explained. “A Miriam Person is a person of action, caring and compassionate, and committed to something greater than oneself. Alan Hassenfeld possessed these rare gifts and he paired them with a heart of gold and an insatiable drive to give back. Alan didn’t just support causes, he elevated them ... he also had the remarkable ability to recognize what The Miriam meant to others, and he knew just how to harness that shared sense of purpose and turn it into transformative action.”
The Miriam Hospital Centennial Campaign
For 100 years, The Miriam has proudly served as Rhode Island's hospital of choice. Today, The Miriam Hospital stands at a critical moment. As demand for emergency care surges, our lobbies have become unsustainably crowded and our wait times unacceptably long. We need more space. We need more equipment. The Miriam is ready to act, with a $125 million construction and renovation project to expand access, modernize care, and shape the future of health for our community. With your support, you can help make this transformation possible, and ensure timely, exceptional care for every patient who depends on us.
Building a bold, promising future
Held in place of its annual Gala & Auction, this once-in-a-century event provided The Miriam with an opportunity to retell its remarkable and never-ending story while also offering a glimpse of the hospital’s plans to literally build its future via a bold construction and renovation project underway that will transform the way patient care is delivered for generations to come.
David Rampone, Chair of The Miriam Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees, talked about the project, which is made possible through the generosity of The Miriam’s dedicated donor community. Among many other upgrades intended to increase efficiency, the project will result in an expanded emergency department and the addition of new private, single-patient rooms.
Thank you!
The Miriam Hospital extends its sincere gratitude and appreciation to everyone who helped make the 2026 Centennial Celebration possible, including their committees, sponsors, and entire community of supporters.
Proceeds from event sponsorships and ticket sales benefit The Miriam’s Greatest Needs Fund, supporting critical programs and enhancements that ensure exceptional, patient-centered care.
To learn more about The Miriam’s history and future, visit miriam100.org.