October 1, 2026

EvergreenHealth receives $100M gift for new patient tower

Photo via EvergreenHealth [enlarge]

The combination of philanthropic contributions and voter-approved funding will support plans to build a new patient-care tower.

EvergreenHealth has received a $100 million gift from the late Dean Weidner, the largest philanthropic donation in the community-owned hospital system's history.

The gift will allow EvergreenHealth to begin planning a new patient-care tower on its Kirkland campus, intended to increase capacity and expand access to health care as the community grows.

Weidner, founder and chairman of Kirkland-based Weidner Apartment Homes, and his late wife, Ana, had supported EvergreenHealth projects since 2019. Ana Weidner died in 2024, and Dean Weidner died in early 2026.

“This is an extraordinary act of generosity and a defining milestone for our hospital system and the community we serve,” EvergreenHealth CEO Ettore Palazzo said in a news release this week. “The timing of this gift is meaningful. After the community affirmed its support of EvergreenHealth through the Levy Lid Lift, Dean saw an opportunity to come alongside that trust with this investment in the future of community-owned health care.”

EvergreenHealth said the donation will set in motion planning for the future patient-care tower, which is part of the hospital system's efforts to expand capacity and provide more care close to home. The release did not provide a construction timeline, estimated project cost or details about the size of the proposed tower.

Weidner

The donation follows voter approval in 2025 of increased levy funding for the public hospital district. EvergreenHealth said the combination of philanthropic contributions and voter-approved funding will support its long-term planning.

Dean and Ana Weidner previously supported several projects at EvergreenHealth, including a linear accelerator used to provide radiation therapy and the Weidner Vaccination Clinic.

Dean Weidner was a business leader in the multifamily housing industry. Ana Weidner concentrated much of her philanthropic work on wildlife conservation and animal welfare, according to EvergreenHealth.

“We are deeply grateful to the Weidners for their generosity and partnership over the years,” EvergreenHealth Chief Philanthropy Officer Lori Kloes said. “We are honored and humbled by the opportunity to memorialize Dean and Ana through a legacy that will serve patients and families for generations to come.”

Early last month, the DJC reported that King County Public Hospital District No. 2, associated with EvergreenHealth, paid just under $69 million to purchase a Totem Lake medical complex at 11800 N.E. 128th St. The five-story building has about 95,234 square feet. EvergreenHealth has long been a tenant there; its main campus is just to the east.