Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio presents Spirit of Health Award to Sister Kathleen Coughlin
- The Spirit of Health Award is given yearly to an organization or individual who has had a significant impact on community health
Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio (BHFSA) presented the 2023 Spirit of Health Award to Sister Kathleen Coughlin, Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word, in recognition of her years of dedicated work in fundraising for improved, innovative healthcare education in our area.
The award was presented at BHFSA’s annual awards ceremony in December. This year’s ceremony was called BHFSA Celebrates: A Year of Good.
Sister Kathleen Coughlin, CCVI, entered the congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, in 1960.
Her intention was to study as a teacher, but when she discovered that the educational track was shorter for nursing, she switched. Nursing suited Sister Kathleen quite well, and she quickly advanced through the ranks, being tasked with increasing responsibilities.
Sister Kathleen’s strong leadership skills did not go unnoticed, and she held several very prestigious titles, including CEO of St. Anthony’s Hospital in Amarillo and CEO of Spohn Health System in Corpus Christi. In 1995, Sister Kathleen left her career in hospital administration and returned to San Antonio.
She was then “retired,” though in her words, “Nuns don’t retire. They never stop working.” However, her alma mater, University of the Incarnate Word, quickly asked for her help in growing the school. In 2002, she became UIW’s Vice President for Institutional Advancement. For the next 20 years, she helped UIW build multiple programs from the ground up, including the School of Osteopathic Medicine and the Feik School of Pharmacy. She also fundraised for the construction or renovation of structures such as the AT&T Science Center, the Ila Faye Miller School of Nursing and Health Professions, the Kelso Art Center, the Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium, the Luella Bennack Music Center, and the Diane Bennack Concert Hall.
The Spirit of Health Award is given annually to organizations and individuals who have a remarkable impact on health within BHFSA’s eight-county service area. The award recognizes organizations or individuals for their community leadership, compassion and dedication. Sister Kathleen joins the list of previous Spirit of Health Award recipients including Rebecca Taylor, the San Antonio Food Bank, Dr. Fernando Guerra, and the San Antonio Police Department Mental Health Detail.
BHFSA also announced over nine million dollars in grants this year awarded to more than 100 area non-profits for health-related causes. BHFSA’s goal is to improve health in Bexar County and seven contiguous counties. This has been accomplished through the giving of over $100 million in grants to area nonprofit organizations since 2004.