A Bequest Gift to Mount Sinai’s School of Nursing Reflects a Family Legacy of Support

Carol Phillips Green’s life reflected a deep respect for nursing, which is why her will included a bequest for the Phillips School of Nursing at Mount Sinai Beth Israel.

Carol, who previously served on the board of the Beth Israel Hospital (prior to the merger between Mount Sinai and the former Continuum Health Partners in 2013) and the Phillips School of Nursing (PSON), passed away last year at the age of 91. Her final decades included close connections with nurses educated at PSON, cementing her appreciation for their work and bringing full-circle her family’s history of supporting nursing education.

In her busy life, Carol was integral to PSON’s growth and success. She joined the Board of Trustees of Beth Israel Medical Center in 1988 and, as a member of the PSON Board, was a strong advocate for nursing education.

Now, her bequest carries on that legacy.

“My mother’s tie to Beth Israel, which is now part of Mount Sinai, was one of family history and heart,” says Carol’s daughter, Janet Green, co-chair of the Board of PSON. “The mission of nursing is something we have always been passionate about.”

Carol’s family connection to Mount Sinai dates back several generations. In 1902, Carol’s great-grandfather Moses Phillips was one of 40 early founders to establish the Beth Israel Dispensary, which opened in 1890 to fill health care needs for new arrivals in New York City. In 1922, Moses’ son Isaac laid the cornerstone for a new Beth Israel Hospital. Isaac’s son Seymour served as a hospital trustee and kept the nursing school afloat during hard times. In 1984, the school was renamed in his honor.

Now, Carol’s bequest will support the Seymour J. Phillips Scholarship Fund, which Carol established with her brother Lawrence. “My grandfather Seymour was a man of vision,” Janet says. “My mom’s bequest carries on that vision.”

Founder of a newly created nursing scholarship named for her mother Carol, Janet encourages others to support Mount Sinai Beth Israel and PSON.

“Health care and health care education have tethered my family’s giving for over a century,” she says. “Philanthropy as a family project is something people can really be proud of.”