Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Needham Receives $15 Million Gift

Major Philanthropic Investment Advances Hospital Campus Expansion

Needham, MA — Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Needham (BID Needham) today announced a landmark $15 million gift from Barbara Levine, Bruce and Aggie Levine and family, and Ina and Lewis Heafitz to advance the hospital’s planned campus expansion along Chestnut Street. The landmark commitment, which includes both financial support and the contribution of two properties essential to the project will help support BID Needham’s growth and the extension of its Transforming Health Care Here campaign.

“This is a significant investment in the future of health care in our community,” said John Fogarty, president of BID Needham. “We are profoundly grateful to the Levine and Heafitz families for their vision, leadership and confidence in BID Needham. Their generosity is helping turn years of planning and possibility into a reality that will benefit patients, families and our community for generations to come.”

BID Needham is advancing a long-term campus expansion designed to increase access to care and meet the growing health care needs of the community. Current plans center on a new outpatient-focused facility along Chestnut Street that would expand capacity and bring more services — including surgery, primary care, women’s health, behavioral health and digestive health — closer to home. In recognition of the families’ extraordinary support, the new building will be named in honor of the Levine and Heafitz families.

The project supports Beth Israel Lahey Health’s commitment to delivering 70 percent of care in community settings and represents one of the most significant investments in BID Needham’s history.

The Levine and Heafitz families have longstanding ties to BID Needham and to one another. Don and Bruce Levine and Lew Heafitz were longtime business partners through Equity Industrial Partners, and both families have been generous supporters of the hospital, including the Levine Family Department of Cardiology and the Donald A. Levine Memorial Endowment Fund for Workforce Enrichment. Bruce Levine also serves on the BID Needham Board of Trustees. Their latest investment reflects that shared commitment to BID Needham and to ensuring high-quality care remains available close to home.

“BID Needham has meant a great deal to our families over the years. Inspired by Don’s longstanding commitment, our families have continued to support BID Needham because of the exceptional care it provides and the important role it plays in this community,” said the Levine and Heafitz families. “We are proud to invest in the hospital’s vision for the future and help ensure that our neighbors can continue to access outstanding care close to home. We hope our commitment will inspire others to join us in investing in BID Needham and the community it serves.”

The new commitment builds on the historic $20 million gift made by Valerie Trotman and her family in 2024, the largest in BID Needham’s history. The Trotman family’s support helped launch the $40 million Transforming Health Care Here campaign and accelerated the hospital’s plans for campus transformation.

With more than $46 million raised to date and an expanded vision for the hospital’s future, BID Needham is extending the Transforming Health Care Here campaign through 2031 and increasing its fundraising goal to $70 million. The expanded campaign will support the next phase of campus growth while continuing to advance its core priorities of workforce development and access and innovation.

“The extraordinary support we have received from the Levine, Heafitz and Trotman families, along with donors throughout our community, reflects a shared commitment to ensuring world-class care close to home,” said Samantha Sherman, Divisional Vice President, Community Hospitals for Beth Israel Lahey Health. “This remarkable milestone celebrates the generosity and vision of so many supporters who believe in BID Needham’s future. The Levine and Heafitz families hope their gift conveys confidence in that future and serves as a catalyst for others to invest in the hospital’s next chapter of growth and impact.”

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About Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Needham

Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Needham (BID Needham) is a licensed 73-bed acute care community hospital. BID Needham has served residents in Needham and surrounding communities for more than 100 years. The hospital has been recognized by several organizations for quality and safety, including U.S. News & World Report and The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval.

Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Needham is part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, a healthcare system that brings together academic medical centers and teaching hospitals, community and specialty hospitals, more than 4,700 physicians and 39,000 employees in a shared mission to expand access to great care and advance the science and practice of medicine through groundbreaking research and education.