Children’s Minnesota Establishes First Endowed Chair for Pain, Palliative Care and Integrative Medicine Program

A $2 million gift from the Hanson family will support innovative, compassionate care for children with serious illness and complex pain

MINNEAPOLIS & ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Children’s Minnesota is pleased to announce a new investment in easing pain and improving comfort for children facing serious illness. Thanks to a generous $2 million gift from the Hanson family, the health system has established its first endowed chair dedicated to pediatric pain, palliative care and integrative medicine.

Kris Catrine, MD, medical director of Children’s Minnesota’s pain, palliative care and integrative medicine (PPCIM) program, has been named the inaugural holder of the Hanson Family Endowed Chair in Pain, Palliative Care and Integrative Medicine.

“Congratulations to Dr. Catrine on this well‑deserved appointment. As a nonprofit health system, this endowed chair represents a significant commitment to how we care for children with serious illness and complex pain,” said Jennifer Soderholm, president of the Children’s Minnesota Foundation. “The Hanson family’s generosity will strengthen access to specialized expertise and support approaches that focus on comfort, dignity and quality of life – today and for generations to come.”

The $2 million endowed chair will provide dedicated funding for the PPCIM program over the next 30 years, strengthening the program’s ability to deliver exceptional care, advance research and innovation, and support education and training in pain management, palliative care and integrative therapies.

“I am deeply honored by this appointment and grateful to the Hanson family for their belief in this work,” said Dr. Catrine. “This endowed chair is not about one physician — it is about sustaining a model of care that shows up for children and families facing serious illness, complex pain and profound uncertainty. The Hanson family’s generosity helps ensure our team can provide children and their families with a compassionate, holistic approach to care — one rooted in collaboration, continuity, and a commitment to supporting families through every stage of serious illness.

Dr. Catrine joined Children’s Minnesota’s PPCIM program in 2012 and has served as medical director since 2020. Her clinical focuses include home hospice care, medical decision-making and ethics.

"Establishing the endowed chair in Pain, Palliative Care, and Integrative Medicine allows us to recognize Dr. Catrine’s leadership, elevate the exceptional work done of the PPCIM team, and further raise the profile of a clinical practice that already impacts care across the entire organization for every child," said Mike Hanson.

The pediatric PPCIM program at Children’s Minnesota is one of the largest and most comprehensive of its kind in the country. The multidisciplinary team partners with a child’s existing care team to provide pain management, palliative care for serious or complex conditions, and integrative therapies that support physical, emotional and spiritual well‑being. Care is tailored to each child and offered across inpatient, outpatient and home‑based settings.

About Children’s Minnesota

Children’s Minnesota is one of the largest pediatric health systems in the United States and the only one in Minnesota devoted exclusively to children, from before birth through young adulthood. An independent and not-for-profit system for more than 100 years, Children’s Minnesota offers more than 60 pediatric specialties through its with two hospitals, nine primary care clinics, seven rehabilitation and eight specialty care sites throughout the Twin Cities metro area. The Kid Experts^® at Children’s Minnesota are chosen by more families than any other pediatric health system in the region.

Please visit childrensMN.org.