The DFMCH marked the one-year anniversary of the deaths Beth Potter, MD, and her husband Robin Carre, PhD, with events designed to inspire the passion for wellness and resiliency that they brought to their lives and work. Virtual events including a memorial service and 5k run, and an outdoor vigil near the Wingra Family Medicine Center on Park St., were just a few ways family, friends and colleagues honored them by sharing stories and hope for the future.
The commemorative Beth Potter and Robin Carre memorial bench overlooks the Gardner Marsh in the UW Arboretum.
Drs. Potter and Carre both embraced wellness in their personal and professional lives. Potter taught and mentored hundreds of medical students incorporating wellness and resiliency into education, leadership training and in the workplace. Carre served as an educator and coach—inspiring students both on and off the field as an adjunct professor of History at Viterbo University and as the coaching director of the Regent Soccer Club in Madison
“As we mark this tragic anniversary, I am reminded that with spring comes a hope for renewal, “said DFMCH Interim Chair William Schwab, MD. “This is a time when we can rededicate ourselves to making the world a better place, just as Beth Potter and Robin Carre showed us how to do during their lives.”
The Beth Potter and Robin Carre Memorial Fund
In addition to the anniversary events, DFMCH established the Beth Potter and Robin Carre Memorial Fund, which has met its goal of raising $100,000 to create a scholarship and a memorial in the UW Arboretum. The Beth Potter Scholarship will allow DFMCH residents to attend leadership training that focuses on wellness and resiliency. The Arboretum Memorial includes updates and maintenance to the boardwalk, a bench on one of the Gardner Marsh overlooks, a commemorative tree, and a plan for a commemorative stainless steel leaf to hang from a trellis connecting the Native Plant Garden to Longenecker Gardens. The bench is already in place, and colleagues and friends are encouraged to visit the special spot where Beth often spent her lunch breaks connecting with nature.
To further honor her memory, a large meeting room at the Wingra Clinic was renamed the Dr. Beth Potter Community and Conference Room. Last month, Wingra Clinic opened its COVID-19 vaccine clinic in this room.
“Beth would be deeply touched that a room bearing her name is where so many residents of this community are getting vaccinated against COVID,” said Wingra Clinic Manager Mary Vasquez. “It could not be more fitting.”
A Special Thanks
Friend and colleague, Melissa Stiles, MD, was heartened by the many contributions honoring Beth and Robin, noting, “They were two of the most generous, loving and kind people I had the honor to know. The outpouring of support from across the country for the scholarships and memorials in their names has been tremendous and a testament to the impact they had. They will never be forgotten.” DFMCH wishes to extend a special thank you to everyone who contributed to the Beth Potter and Robin Carre Memorial Fund. Your generous donations will ensure family medicine residents continue to lead with the compassion and care Beth brought to her life and practice for years to come.
If you still wish to donate, please visit: Beth Potter and Robin Carre Memorial Fund
Published: April 2021