When her first son was born at UK Chandler Hospital, Carol Steltenkamp remembers friends and colleagues who visited. They came at the beginning of their shifts, on their breaks and on their days off.
“We had my friends in pediatrics, friends in the laboratory, we also knew people in specialized areas,” says Carol. “It was a joyful experience.”
When visitors became too exhausting for Carol, her husband, Jack, and their new son, a staff member put a sign on their door that read, “We all love Carol and her new baby boy, but she needs some rest so give her a break and touch base later.”
They had been at UK for several years by then—Jack through medical school and for each of them, a completed residency program. Now, they were starting their family. But the experience they had welcoming their son showed them they belonged to a much larger community at Kentucky Children’s Hospital than they realized.
“We felt part of a picture bigger than our three-person family,” says Carol.
In 1992, Carol began working at UK, and Jack was finishing his final year of residency before going into private practice as a pathologist. Jack visited Carol often at work, coming out of the stairwell on the fourth floor to a bustling pediatric ward. He would listen for Carol’s laugh, a rollicking, delightful sound he’d fallen in love with when he first met her back in high school.
“I could generally find Carol that way,” recalled Jack, smiling.
Over the years Carol has worked at UK, she has witnessed enormous improvements in facilities and resources. When she completed her residency, pediatrics was just one floor. “A couple of wings in the hospital,” she recalls. “It provided pediatric care but wasn’t as specialized or enriching as it is now. But we worked hard and saw the difference we were able to make in children’s lives.”
Carol and Jack always knew that Kentucky Children’s Hospital and Catholic education were two of their biggest shared passions. But it wasn’t until they met with an estate planner that they began to think more seriously about how they could provide for what they loved so much.
The result of their planning? A generous charitable life insurance policy, designated to benefit pediatricians at Kentucky Children’s Hospital who are looking to make their mark in clinical care, education or research. It is something for which Carol and Jack are immensely proud.
In retrospect, Carol believes it can be difficult to think about giving back when you’re young and working hard to succeed in your career and provide for your family.
“When I stepped back, I realized it wasn’t about us—it was about our opportunity to make a bigger difference,” says Carol. “I believe we had that potential earlier in our lives, but we didn’t appreciate the opportunity or know how we could do it. Had we known about giving in this way sooner, we could have done more.”
When Carol returned to UK in the late ’90s to study for her MBA, it was because she saw an opportunity to move her career forward and make a positive impact on even more patients than she could see as a pediatrician.
Going back to school was a challenge for her family. She remembers working on assignments at the kitchen table next to her son, who was doing his second-grade math homework. Afterward, they’d clear the table so the family could eat dinner.
“We had a nine, six and three-year-old at home,” says Carol. “Jack kept the kids busy.”
Earning her MBA in 2000 propelled Carol’s career in a new direction. From 2004 to 2018, Carol served as UK HealthCare’s first Chief Medical Information Officer. Then, in March 2019, Carol was named External Chief Medical Officer at UK HealthCare, a role in which she uses her experience and expertise to provide a unified approach to UK HealthCare’s external clinical strategies.
She’s grateful for the support and many opportunities at UK that have helped her contribute to the well-being of children and their families.
“Being at UK and having a nurturing environment allowed me to do what I wanted to do,” says Carol. “It afforded me the opportunity to seek leadership positions in which I could help others.”
Kentucky Children’s Hospital is a place where Carol and Jack have already made an enormous impact. Their future gift will carry forward their legacy of service, supporting pediatricians, children and their families far beyond their lifetime.
“Carol often reminds people that Kentucky Children’s is an insurance policy you hope you never need,” says Jack. “As a lifelong Kentuckian, anything that is good for the Children’s Hospital is good for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”
To find out how you can make a difference for what you are passionate about at UK, contact Gift and Estate Planning at 859-257-7886 or giftandestate@uky.edu today.