Dell Coats has spent 20 years supporting the Queen quietly. His planned gift is no different.

For Dell Coats, supporting Queen of the Valley Medical Center isn’t a decision that happened overnight. It’s the result of more than 20 years of showing up — quietly, consistently and always behind the scenes.

Dell’s connection to the Queen began long before he joined the Foundation board. As a young CPA at a local firm, he spent nearly a decade preparing the Foundation’s tax returns. He later joined the Finance Committee, and eventually the board itself, bringing the same steady, numbers-driven pragmatism to philanthropy that defined his professional life.

But the relationship has never been purely professional. Dell and his wife, Ruth, have both relied on the Queen as patients — experiences that, as he puts it, “all had good outcomes.” That personal history, combined with his deep belief that quality health care is a right rather than a privilege, is what ultimately inspired them to include the hospital in their estate plan.

The journey to formalizing that gift was a patient one — which is exactly as it should be, Dell says. In 2023, he completed a survey indicating a potential estate gift, which brought him into conversation with senior director of planned giving Damon Tinnon. There was no pressure, no hard sell. Dell needed time to work through his financial planning carefully, and Damon gave him that space. When Dell was ready, the process turned out to be simpler than he expected: one page, one signature.

“I couldn’t always write a big check,” Dell reflects. “In the past, I gave time and expertise. Now I can give this way too.”

For Dell, the reward has never been recognition. It’s the satisfaction of knowing that the community he’s called home for decades will have the care it needs — long after he’s gone.