Podcast Summary: Advancing Health – Hospital Fundraising That Heals: How Philanthropy Powers Care at Inova

Release Date: October 8, 2025
Host: Sue Ellen Wagner, American Hospital Association
Guests: Tony Artabel (Chief of Clinical Enterprise Operations, Inova Health System), Sage Bolte (Chief Philanthropy Officer & President, Inova Health Foundation)

Episode Overview

This episode explores the pivotal role of philanthropy in advancing clinical excellence and improving patient outcomes at Inova Health System. Through a discussion with top Inova leaders, the episode sheds light on how philanthropic efforts not only sustain but accelerate hospital and service line growth—ensuring that health systems can continue caring for communities, initiate new programs, and create a culture of giving both inside and outside the organization.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Strategic Role of Philanthropy in Healthcare

• Essential Support Beyond Operations (01:16):
  Tony Artabel explains that philanthropy enables the health system to offer services otherwise unavailable to the community, enhancing service lines like neurosciences and pediatrics and allowing the health system to achieve high-acuity care.

  • "Philanthropy is extremely important to healthcare ... it helps us develop our service lines ... so we can offer extremely high acuity care and care that the community just wouldn't have without the help of philanthropy." – Tony Artabel, [01:16]

• Driving Acceleration and Legacy (02:10):
  Sage Bolte highlights that philanthropy helps the organization leap forward with strategic projects and fosters a legacy-driven mindset, aligning giving with core operational and community priorities.

  • "Philanthropy follows strategy ... we don't want philanthropy starting and stopping. We really want the investment of our community to be a legacy." – Sage Bolte, [02:10]

Why Certain Service Lines Get More Support

• Heart & Cancer Services Receive Most Dollars (04:03):
  Tony Artabel attributes the prevalence of donations to heart and cancer services due to their visibility, the personal connections families have, the image they create for hospitals, and the proactive role their physicians play in fundraising.

  • "People's hearts are already tied to those two service lines ... they are sort of image makers for healthcare systems." – Tony Artabel, [04:03]

• Grateful Patient Influence (05:39):
  Sage Bolte notes that over 85% of donations come from grateful patients, whose long-term relationships with care providers motivate giving, particularly for complex care journeys.

  • "More than 85% of philanthropic support comes from grateful patients ... these are relationships that they build over months, over years, sometimes over decades." – Sage Bolte, [05:39]

• System-Wide Benefits (07:00):
  Philanthropic gifts to one area indirectly benefit other departments by freeing up operational resources, promoting a culture where “we all win.”

  • "When a philanthropic dollar comes ... it does offset the operational investment ... we all win when a philanthropic gift comes into any service line." – Sage Bolte, [07:00]

Broadening Donor Engagement & Celebrating Every Gift

• Beyond Major Gifts: Building a Broad Base (08:41):
  Successful fundraising now requires a diversified approach—engaging mid-level and annual donors alongside major philanthropists, keeping all donors emotionally connected to their giving.

  • "Our opportunity as an organization is to ensure that they feel that hundred dollars matters." – Sage Bolte, [10:01]

• Internal Role Modeling and Gratitude (10:15):
  Tony Artabel stresses internal leadership’s responsibility to model giving, take every contribution seriously, and ensure donors feel valued, highlighting a personal anecdote about a NICU-family’s growing support.

  • "It's important to let people give to where their hearts are ... whatever you give is meaningful, and folks need to know that their giving makes a difference." – Tony Artabel, [10:38]

Creating an Integrated Culture of Philanthropy

• Leadership Integration is Key (12:22):
  Both guests agree that strong leadership—especially clinical leaders—in philanthropic roles, full integration between fundraising strategy and clinical operations, and executive visibility are vital.

  • "There needs to be total integration between philanthropy, strategy and operations ... I think that's the secret." – Tony Artabel, [12:26]
  • "Your chief philanthropy officer should be at the table with the executives. It should report to the CEO." – Sage Bolte, [13:04]

• Involving Everyone: Staff and Community Alike (13:30): Fostering internal giving, even in small amounts, deepens staff connection to philanthropy’s impact and builds a giving culture from the ground up.

  • "Creating a culture of philanthropy ... both giving but also connecting people to the opportunity to give, is really, really important." – Sage Bolte, [14:08]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Philanthropy is extremely important to healthcare ... so we can offer extremely high acuity care and care that the community just wouldn't have without the help of philanthropy." – Tony Artabel, [01:16]

• "We really want the investment of our community to be a legacy ... connect people's hearts to the health and health outcomes of our community." – Sage Bolte, [02:45]

• "They're getting all of the dollars because many people use those services ... their hearts are already tied to those two service lines." – Tony Artabel, [04:03]

• "More than 85% of philanthropic support comes from grateful patients." – Sage Bolte, [05:39]

• "Every gift is meaningful, and folks need to know that their giving makes a difference." – Tony Artabel, [10:38]

• "Your chief philanthropy officer should be at the table with the executives. It should report to the CEO." – Sage Bolte, [13:04]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Importance & Strategic Alignment of Philanthropy: [01:16] – [03:43]
• Why Certain Service Lines Attract Gifts: [04:03] – [08:04]
• Engaging a Broad Donor Base & Success Stories: [08:41] – [11:54]
• Final Thoughts: Leadership and Culture Integration: [12:22] – [14:17]

Conclusion

This episode provides a nuanced look at how philanthropy empowers Inova Health’s mission—fueling clinical innovation, supporting staff and service lines, and connecting deeply with the community. The conversation highlights the necessity for broad donor engagement, authentic gratitude, leadership integration, and a culture where giving is celebrated at every level.