Catherine Fox

"Happiness is for ordinary people. He is destined for greatness."

- Catherine Avery about her son, Jackson Avery

Catherine Avery (née Fox) is a brilliant urologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital who occassionally comes to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital to consult on a case or to visit her husband Richard Webber and her son Jackson. She's also the board chairman of the Harper Avery Foundation.

First Penile Transplant
Catherine Avery first appeared at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital when she performed a penile transplant with the assistance of Mark Sloan, Jackson Avery, Meredith Grey, and April Kepner. She said this was the first penile transplant ever done in the United States.

Flirtations with Richard
When Catherine returned to the hospital for a bladder transplant using a bladder they had grown from scratch, Catherine openly flirted with Richard. Initially, he flirted back with her because he considered it innocent. When Jackson ditched her as her date for a benefit, Catherine asked Richard to be her date and he agreed. However, that evening, he told her he was afraid he couldn't accompany her, because his wife was in a home with Alzheimer's. Adele didn't recognize him anymore and he missed talking to her and laughing with her. He didn't feel like a man anymore with Adele, and Catherine's flirting made him feel like a man again. That made him not trust himself to go to dinner with Catherine. She told him he was a good man and they hugged, after which he left to go see Adele. ("One Step Too Far")

They met again at the boards, where they both were examiners. They had dinner together and he confessed he didn't see Adele in a long time, as it only seemed to confuse her more. They continued their flirting and after she got the check, they ended up kissing in her hotel room. He doubted before progressing, but a loving look from Catherine convinced him to proceed. Jackson found out about their night together when he came to her room to ask for his lucky pencil. ("Moment of Truth")

Richard and Catherine didn't regret their night together. Catherine had a short conversation with Jackson where she told him she was a woman with needs. After the boards were over, during their goodbye, Catherine and Richard discovered they were both speaking at an upcoming conference. They compared agendas and made plans to stay in the same hotel. ("Let the Bad Times Roll")

Purchasing the Hospital
After a conversation with Richard Webber regarding their primary investor, Julian Crest, falling through, Catherine Avery, along with the Harper Avery Foundation, decided to contribute the necessary funds to purchase Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. As a caveat, however, Catherine wanted a representative of their choosing to sit on the board as chairman and selected her son, Jackson Avery.

New Chief
When Owen Hunt stepped down as Chief of Surgery, the board needed to vote in a new Chief. Richard suggested Miranda Bailey, but Catherine insisted that she go against an outside candidate of her own choosing.

She brought in Tracy McConnell, but Miranda Bailey ultimately won and was named the new Chief of Surgery. ("Sledgehammer")

Richard Webber
Catherine was a proctor at the boards exams. Her presence seemed to affect Jackson's concentration although in the end, he still passed his boards. She and Richard Webber began a sexual relationship during this time.

They continue to develop this relationship. Following the death of his wife, Catherine sent him a box of cookies and offered companionship. ("The End is the Beginning is the End")

Jackson Avery
Jackson Avery is her son. He gets irritated easily because she butts into his personal life.

Career
Catherine is an attending urologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital. She is also the chairman of the board of the Harper Avery Foundation.

She occasionally consulted at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital and performed the country's first penile transplant there.

In 2012, she served as a board examiner in San Francisco, CA.

Notes and Trivia

 * When Catherine visits, she brings her own lab coat from Brigham and Women's Hospital. She also sometimes wears a lab coat issued from Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
 * Catherine says she has her own ways to know details about Jackson's life.
 * She used to be Facebook friends with April Kepner. ("Love, Loss and Legacy")
 * When she was ten years old, she loved waffles. ("Fear (of the Unknown)")
 * She hates eggs. ("Fear (of the Unknown)")
 * Catherine is the country's foremost authority on penile reattachment.
 * Catherine's personalized scrub cap is red-orange themed with yellow florals.

Memorable Quotes

 * Catherine: Now give your mama a kiss, Jackson. She just bought you a hospital.


 * Catherine: You had an opportunity to work with Derek Shepherd? And you turned it down, for plastics?Jackson Avery, who raised you when I wasn't looking?

Appearances
Catherine Avery