The Ascension Seton Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Austin, Texas.
The Ascension Seton Foundation works with our philanthropic community to support Ascension Seton’s Central Austin adult facilities, including Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin, Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas, Ascension Seton Shoal Creek, as well as the Nurse Scholarship Endowment. Established in 1981 as The Seton Fund, the Ascension Seton Foundation was the first fundraising foundation of the Seton Healthcare Family. Sister Gertrude Levy and then president, Gene Attal, created it on behalf of Seton. Since its creation, the Foundation’s main purpose is to support the mission and work of the Ascension Seton Healthcare Family. Through the support of the Central Texas community, it has been an integral part of the expansion of Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin, support of the Ascension Seton clinics and the capital campaign for Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas.
11/12/2025
The Ascension Texas Disaster Recovery and Medical Response Unit jumps into action when disasters strike.
Thanks to our supporters, the Ascension Texas Foundations funded supplies and other needs for this team to respond to the Central Texas Floods this summer. They took hygiene kits, weather radios and other necessities to those who had lost homes and property to the floodwaters. The unit also contributed clinical support for first responders and volunteers as well as psychological first-aid to those traumatized by the devastation.
Two Austin-area Ascension Texas hospitals — Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin (No. 10) and Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas at Austin (No. 35) — were ranked among the best in Texas by Newsweek.
Read more in the Austin American-Statesman.
Several Austin-area hospitals earned top spots in Newsweek’s 2026 Best Hospitals by State list, which ranked 67 Texas facilities for quality care and patient experience.
09/30/2025
It is with a heavy heart that we share with you the passing of Sister Gertrude Levy on Saturday, September 27, 2025, at the age of 105.
For more than 40 years, Sister Gertrude blessed the hallways of Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin (Seton Main) with her loving presence leaving a legacy that is still very much felt today.
“Sister Gertrude was a bright light in the lives of four generations of my family and the lives of thousands who visited Seton Hospital. Sister was, in every way, a servant leader putting God first, her neighbor second and herself third. She took a personal vow of poverty yet raised millions of dollars for the healthcare of the poor and the vulnerable,” said Luci Baines Johnson. “We pray the Good Lord is now showering on Sister the joy she always showered on us.”
🎉Join us in congratulating Becky Fox, our Senior Development Director, on her 25th anniversary of service at Ascension Seton Foundation!
We're so grateful for her two and a half decades of dedication to our mission.
Joel Rice, Executive Director of Ascension Seton Foundation, shared, "Becky's unwavering commitment to our mission and her incredible impact over the past 25 years are truly inspiring. She is an invaluable part of our team and we're so fortunate to have her."
Thank you, Becky, for your incredible service!
09/11/2025
This year, thanks to the generosity of our donors, the 2025 Ascension Texas Nurse Scholarship Program awarded $453,000 in scholarships to 76 Ascension Texas associates pursuing nursing degrees!
Having a well-educated nursing team is vital to providing high-quality, patient-centered care in Central Texas. We are grateful for the contributions from our donors and the dedication of our associates who are committed to advancing their expertise.
09/08/2025
We're delighted to announce that Edward Moody is the new Chair of the Ascension Seton Foundation Board of Trustees.
Edward is the Lead Advisor & Managing Partner of CFM Wealth Partners. Prior to co-founding the firm in 2019, he was an advisor at RBC and Stephens. He also currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Hospice Austin Fund Board.
Thank you Edward for your leadership and service.
Edward Moody becomes a Board Member at CFM Wealth Partners
08/27/2025
As construction continues on the new Ascension Seton Women’s Hospital, which is expected to open in Spring 2026, we are excited to share a behind the scenes video of the progress.
The new Women’s Hospital will create a dedicated place for women’s care at Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin. Thanks in part to the generosity of donors who have contributed through the Women First campaign, the hospital will be a central hub for powerhouse medical talent, innovative teaching and learning opportunities, and state-of-the-art technology - all focused on providing comprehensive, patient-centered care throughout a woman’s life.
08/21/2025
Happy Birthday, Jermaine — and the gift of a new heart!
This month at the Ascension Seton Heart Specialty Care & Transplant Center, we celebrated an incredible milestone. On his 38th birthday, Jermaine rang the celebratory heart transplant bell — marking the end of a journey that began with a heart failure diagnosis just months ago.
This moment is about more than a new heart. It’s about Jermaine’s courage, his resilience, and the compassionate, expert care of our team at Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin
We’re honored to have been part of this chapter in his story.
As children return to school, their classrooms, friendships, and routines may look and feel different in the wake of the July 4th floods. Some students may be coping with loss, displacement, or changes at home, and those impacts can follow them into the school day.
We know these shifts can be difficult for children to navigate, especially while balancing academics and social life. Robyn Moyer, Director of Dell Children’s Child Life Department, has shared practical steps and resources to help parents, caregivers, and educators support children through this transition.
Congratulations to Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin's caregivers, physicians, and associates on this special honor!
08/02/2025
When Kendra arrived at Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin to deliver her baby, she was physically and emotionally depleted—carrying the weight of complex family struggles and permanent housing challenges. But when her daughter, Amala, was born, everything changed.
Walking through the hospital doors, she found something she didn’t expect: care without condition.
Ascension Seton gave her a safe place to stay for a full week after delivery. They provided all the newborn essentials—diapers, a car seat, a pack-and-play. Even after she left the hospital, the support kept coming.
Just when she thought she’d have to figure out the next chapter alone, something new arrived: food boxes. For eight weeks, Food is the Best Medicine (FBM) delivered prepared meals, meal kits, fresh produce, and pantry staples to where Kendra was staying. Over time, those meals became something more.
“They changed the way I eat. The way I think about food. I had a whole paradigm shift.”
Read more about how Food is the Best Medicine impacted Kendra and her family:
When Kendra arrived at Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin to deliver her baby, she was physically and emotionally depleted—carrying the weight of complex family struggles and permanent housing challenges. Walking through the hospital doors, she found something she didn’t expect: care without ...
07/17/2025
Associates on the Mother-Baby unit at Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin noticed some of their patients didn’t have the basic necessities to take care of their families.
They collaborated with the Ascension Seton Foundation to fully fund and stock a Compassion Closet filled with items for moms, babies and toddlers to share with moms in need.
In the first six months since opening, more than 80 families have already been served!
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The Seton Healthcare Family is a faith-based nonprofit healthcare system founded in 1902 by the Daughters of Charity. Called to be a sign of God’s unconditional love for all, Seton strives to expand access to high-quality, low-cost, person-centered care and services. Seton is a part of Ascension, the largest nonprofit health system in the U.S. and the world’s largest Catholic health system. We build upon national resources to improve care on a community level. We have a regional focus with national support.
Ascension Health was formed nearly 20 years ago, when the Daughters of Charity united with the Sisters of St. Joseph health system. That tie initiated the largest nonprofit health system in the country. By coming together to embrace one shared Mission and name, we can best attract and serve people who need us. The right balance between local identity and national resources is leading to new and innovative ways for you to see a doctor or nurse, when and where you need it. As part of Ascension, your doctor has access to the knowledge and resources of thousands of others across the country, which can then be adapted to your situation. The Seton and Ascension relationship has transcended healthcare in our community and across the nation.
Over the last century, Seton has grown from that first hospital to a network of 12 hospitals and more than 100 clinical locations across Central Texas, including four teaching hospitals. Seton employs over 10,000 and is a major contributor to the Central Texas economy. Over the past decade, Seton has provided over $2 billion in charity care to the poor and vulnerable in Central Texas. Last year, Seton Ascension Texas provided nearly $250 million in charity care for persons living in poverty and over $480 million in community benefit programs, as defined by the State of Texas.
Seton Foundations raise the funds and awareness necessary to operate and advance the Seton Healthcare Family hospitals, including Dell Children’s Medical Center Foundation, Seton Hays Foundation, Seton Williamson Foundation, The Seton Fund, and Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas.
Since 1966, over $495M in generous gifts to the Seton Foundations have transformed care in Central Texas. These gifts have allowed Seton to be the first to provide a neonatal intensive care unit, heart transplants, Level 1 trauma care, and a world-class pediatric medical center in our community changing the lives of central Texans and the hundreds moving here each day.
