A New Commitment to Advanced Surgical Training Honors Robert A. Altman

WASHINGTON, March 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Award-winning actress, singer-songwriter, and advocate Lynda Carter and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital are proud to announce a transformational $10 million gift from the Robert & Lynda Altman Family Foundation in honor of Carter's late husband, Robert A. Altman, establishing The Robert A. Altman Center for Surgical Education at the hospital. Led by Patrick Jackson, MD, chief of the hospital's Division of General Surgery, the Center will expand access to hands-on training in complex, cutting-edge techniques, building surgical capacity at hospitals and clinics that care for Washington, D.C., area patients.

"Robert loved this city and its people," Carter said. "This effort says, 'thank you' to the DMV by equipping the next generation of surgeons to deliver world-class care right here at home."

"Training matters," Dr. Jackson added. "When young surgeons master complex procedures early, patients benefit for decades. I'm honored to help build that pipeline that will serve our communities."

Leading the Center, Dr. Jackson will serve as the inaugural holder of The Robert A. Altman Endowed Chair of Surgery at MedStar Georgetown. Notably, this represents the first endowed chair designated by MedStar Health.

The Center will integrate four core pillars of learning—technical skills training, non-technical skills training, educational research, and transdisciplinary collaboration—to provide training and education for medical students, residents, fellows, and attending physicians.

Additionally, the Center will include a new state-of-the-art simulation-based facility offering training to advance proficiency, enhance patient safety, and foster innovation in surgery. Learners will receive hands-on technical training and team training in actual operating rooms, as well as educational research and multidisciplinary collaboration opportunities with leading medical experts.

"We express our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the Robert & Lynda Altman Family Foundation for this incredible opportunity to shape of the future of surgery," said Lisa M. Boyle, MD, FACS, president of MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and senior vice president for MedStar Health. "We will ensure that each student of the Robert A. Altman Center for Surgical Education trains with the rigor, passion, and care that Robert and Lynda have instilled in our community."

"Incredible things happen when we come together to better serve our patients, those who care for them, and our communities," said MedStar Health President and CEO Kenneth A. Samet, FACHE. "Thanks to Lynda and Robert's transformational commitment to advancing surgical expertise, lives will be saved, families will get more time together, and we will improve health throughout the Washington, D.C., region. This is the work of real-life superheroes."

Carter, who broke ground in television with her iconic portrayal of Wonder Woman, established the Foundation after Altman sadly died from a rare blood cancer—secondary myeloid leukemia—in 2021.

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SOURCE MedStar Health