{"id":384691,"date":"2026-07-24T03:53:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T03:53:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/384691\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T03:53:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T03:53:12","slug":"houston-power-players-met-in-the-mountains-to-boost-the-citys-cutting-edge-rehab-hospital-two-days-in-aspen-and-tirr-magic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/384691\/","title":{"rendered":"Houston Power Players Met In the Mountains To Boost the City’s Cutting Edge Rehab Hospital \u2014 Two Days in Aspen and TIRR Magic"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yes, Memorial Hermann Foundation\u2019s two days in Aspen provided a luxe break from Houston\u2019s summer doldrums and brutal heat. But the tony confab provided much more. It was an informative, inspiring and often heartfelt gathering that served to salute not only the work of Memorial Hermann, but also the strong community enjoyed by the hospital system\u2019s members and supporters.<\/p>\n

For this annual Elevated Connections,\u00a0 the focus turned to the system\u2019s nationally acclaimed rehabilitation and research hospital TIRR Memorial Hermann and the fundraising campaign to build a Tower of Strength, the transformative expansion and renovation of the TIRR Memorial Hermann facility. This expansion is geared around giving access to life-changing specialized care to more patients.<\/p>\n

As foundation<\/a> CEO Anne Neeson noted on the first night\u2019s gathering, the room at the Paul Jas Center<\/a> was \u201cfilled with great people with big hearts.\u201d The gentle pitch for support gained steam with remarks from Memorial Hermann chief executive physician Dr. Jamie McCarthy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe care our team provides is incredible, but our building, is not.\u201d McCarthy says.\u00a0 \u201cThis is a once-in-a-generation chance to give the patients at TIRR Memorial Hermann and our staff a home worthy of the care they are providing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The importance of TIRR\u2019s work in the community was brought home by Elevated Connections host Wynne Snoots, finance exec and former EnCap Investments partner. The story of his miraculous recovery from life-threatening health issues that included a heart attack and a traumatic brain injury held the gathering\u2019s attention.\u00a0 Expressing heartfelt gratitude for the exceptional care he received, he described the determination of TIRR Memorial Hermann physical therapy group, noting they \u201cwouldn\u2019t let anyone quit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"EddEdd & Nina Hendeer, Tonya Callender, Sherry Smith, Dr. David Callender, Jim Smith at the Memorial Hermann Foundation Aspen retreat (Photo by Priscilla Dickson)<\/p>\n

\u201cI would not be at the stage I am now, if it hadn\u2019t been for them,\u201d Snoots says. \u201cIt was just an incredible blessing, and I can\u2019t thank TIRR enough because my kids were very young, and I\u2019ve been able to coach their sports and see how they developed over time, thanks to the care I received.\u201d<\/p>\n

The latest innovations in patient care and a firsthand look at where philanthropic investment can make the greatest impact was provided at a more intimate breakfast gathering led by Memorial Hermann Health System president and CEO Dr. David Callender. Callender and his\u00a0executive leadership team shared the challenges that weigh most heavily on them.<\/p>\n

\"GreggGregg & JoLynn Falgout, Christine & Bill Gutknecht at the Memorial Hermann Foundation Aspen retreat (Photo by Priscilla Dickson)<\/p>\n

The two-day friend-raising, subtle fundraising and informative dialogue concluded with a festive brunch in The Garden at Aspen\u2019s famed Hotel Jerome.<\/p>\n

Summing up the importance of the gathering, foundation board chair Marty Phillips notes: \u201cJust being here in Aspen, getting to spend time with great people, it really highlights for me the amazing community that we have around Memorial Hermann. Dedicated friends, board members and an incredibly capable, committed and compassionate staff.\u201d<\/p>\n

Memorial Hermann supporters joining the activities included Emily Clay and Bill Schneidau, Elizabeth and Will Galtney, Melissa Juneau, Liane and Marty Phillips, Amy and Rob Pierce, Leticia and Steve Trauber, Aimee Snoots, Hallie Vanderhider and Bobby Dees.<\/p>\n

PC Seen: Denise Monteleone;\u00a0Rosyln Bazzelle Mitchell,\u00a0Valerie and Tracy Dieterich,\u00a0Diane and Bill Campbell,\u00a0Angie and David Habachy,\u00a0Sarah and Duncan Underwood,\u00a0Sis Johnson, and Bob Bacon.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Yes, Memorial Hermann Foundation\u2019s two days in Aspen provided a luxe break from Houston\u2019s summer doldrums and brutal…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":384692,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[56,58,57],"class_list":["post-384691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-houston","tag-houston-headlines","tag-houston-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=384691"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384691\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/384692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=384691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=384691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=384691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}